Swindon Borough Council has been criticised for not doing enough to raise awareness of grants available from central government after recent flooding.

Several streets across the borough have been flooded at different times this autumn and winter, with some severe storms causing great difficulties.

The leader of Swindon’s opposition Conservative group, Cllr Gary Sumner, has said the Labour-run administration at Euclid Street should be doing more to publicise grants available to help people whose homes or businesses have been flooded.

He said: “I raised with the Chief Executive the urgent matter of why the council is not promoting the government scheme to provide relief to those affected by flooding as a result of Storm Henk.

"Wiltshire Council has already been promoting the scheme for over a week, which will offer Council Tax and Business rates relief, resilience grants of up to £5,000 and relief for farmers and businesses affected by flooding.”

Cllr Sumner said there had also been grants available for damage caused by Storm Babet, which hit the town in October, but the deadline for applications had expired.

He added: "Again, Swindon Borough Council didn’t promote it. These grants can only be administered by the local authority.

“We had residents affected by flooding in Covingham, South Marston, Wroughton, Wanborough, Hinton Parva and Badbury. This is a grave oversight and must be corrected immediately to prevent residents and businesses from missing out after their flooding misery.”

The matter was also raised at the full council by Councillor Matt Vallender, a Conservative councillor for St Margaret & South Marston.

The leader of the borough council, Jim Robbins, admitted the authority could have done more.

Cllr Robbins said: "I’ll take the hit on that. It wasn’t something that I was aware of and I’ll make sure that we promote the grants more.”

But he added: “The government has not been proactive and got in touch with us to tell us about the grants.”

And, in reference to Cllr Vallender, he said that if any councillors had worked in MPs offices, they might have let the council know about the grants before the deadline expired, a reference to the councillor's job as a parliamentary assistant to Justin Tomlinson.

Money is available from sources such as the Community Recovery Grant, the Business Recovery Grant, Council Tax Discount, Business Rates Relief, the Property Flood Resilience Repair Grant Scheme and the Farming Recovery Fund.

The application distribution processes are administered by local authorities.