On 12th July, a month’s rain fell in less than one hour in Maida Vale. Several hundred properties were flooded with water coming up from the sewers ruining peoples’ belongings and forcing them out of their homes. One month on and many of these flats are still uninhabitable.

We are a calling on Westminster Council to make two gestures of support to our residents that have suffered so much.

• Council Tax – we are asking that Westminster exempt the flooded properties from Council Tax while they are uninhabited.
• Parking charges – we are asking Westminster to exempt builders and other tradespeople working on these flats from parking charges (£25.50 per day) and from skip hire fees (£81)

Councillor Nafsika Butler-Thalasis said, “It’s not fair that people still have to pay Council Tax when they can’t live in their flats. Westminster should show some solidarity with its residents and make an exemption.”

Councillor Geoff Barraclough said, “Parking charges are significant. It would be a welcome signal of support for the hard pressed flood victims to exempt their contractors from trades parking and skip permit fees.”