West Sussex County Council Awards Grants for Flood Preparedness

On October 29, Deborah Urquhart, the cabinet member for environment & climate change, approved a total of £215,346.44 for four projects under West Sussex County Council’s “Operation Watershed” initiative. This program aims to assist residents in collaborating with the council to either prepare for or mitigate the risk of flooding within the region. Since its inception in the 2013/14 financial year, Operation Watershed has supported 495 projects and distributed over £4.4 million, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service. The Tarring Flood Action Group received the largest individual grant, amounting to £76,616.21. Tarring, a neighborhood near Worthing, frequently experiences flooding that impacts local homes and businesses. The allocated funds will be utilized for the replacement and installation of gullies, as well as for undertaking surfacing work at several junctions within the area. Additional grant recipients include Wisborough Green Parish Council, which was awarded £22,841.25; Apuldram Parish Meeting, receiving £61,855.38; and Harting Parish Council, which secured £54,033.60. Following the distribution of these funds, approximately £40,000 will remain in the Operation Watershed budget for the 2024/25 fiscal year. An additional £1,774,000 is earmarked for the capital programme covering the period from 2025/26 to 2027/28.