IT IS a year since parts of south Croydon was submerged under water as severe wet weather caused flooding so bad Croydon Council declared a major incident.
Twelve months on residents have returned to their homes but are still feeling the effects with mould and condensation invading their homes.
And a council Repair and Renew grant of £5000 for flooded properties has helped four premises to date despite 37 applications. This totals £18,000 work, and 14 properties also approved for funding are still in the process of applying.
Marilyn Poulton's flower shop, Westbourne Florist in Godstone Road, Kenley, is one of those to have received help.
The florist, Zina Pharmacy and Deep Sea Fish Bar, also on Godstone road, have had work to seal the their basements against future flooding, called tanking. It began three weeks ago and was finished last week.
Ms Poulton said: "Last year I was an expert in sand bags, this year I'm an expert in finding a tanking firm.
"When you know you are entitled to something you just have to keep persevering so because I knew I was entitled to the grant I had to just keep going at it.
"It was a new initiative and teething problems were going to be there."
Mark Kelly, of Godstone Road, lived in rented accommodation until October last year after his home was flooded in February.
Mr Kelly, his wife Anbreen and their 22-year-old daughter Sasiyah were pleased to be home for Christmas. But soon after they moved in out the heating on secondary flooding [when water comes out through the walls] caused damp so bad mould formed and wallpaper came off the walls.
He said: "So much for a better start to the year than last year. I look at my garden which I haven't even started repairing yet and it will be the end of the year before its finished.
"All this will be over when I can sit in my garden and have a beer, then it will be behind me.
"It is what it is so I have got to make the best of it."
Mr Kelly, who has fitted pumps in his cellar to deal with any future floods, estimates he has spent almost £10,000 on repair work on top of that covered by insurance. He has not started work on his decimated garden.
He also applied for the Repair and Renew grant but has not yet received any money.
Mr Kelly said: "The applications for the £5000 have been going on and on and none of us [Godstone Road residents] have seen anything.
"The council seem to be dragging their heels. We have to supply invoices for each individual part of the work but I have got one bill for the building site so I have got to go back to the builder for a list of all the work.
"If I was still waiting now I wouldn't be back in my house."
The council said any delay in the grants - which only cover work not paid for by insurance companies - is due to applicants not supplying insurance reports or waiting for surveys to take place.
A spokeswoman said: "While the government have set criteria, which must be met in order to claim the RRG, we have always encouraged all those making enquiries to complete the application form as best as they can and let the independent surveyor assess their property and determine if any resilience/resistance measures that can be installed."
In December the council also announced that an £850,000 council emergency fund had enabled Purley Oaks depot reservoir, which protects residents from future floods, to be increased to the size of three Olympic swimming pools.
The council has appointed experts to map Caterham Bourne flooding hotspots, started a £45,000 drainage project in Kenley and planned new back up floodwater storage areas off the Godstone Road and Brighton Road.
Residents of Nicholass Court in Dale road lived in hotels and with relatives after water four steps deep flooded the ground floor flats.
June Holmes, 82, lives on the first floor of the block and spent six weeks in a hotel after being carried out of her home by firefighters. Residents of the four flats on the ground floor only moved home in October, but have also experienced secondary flooding.
Ms Holmes said: "We're all alright. Downstairs they are all very unhappy because of the condensation.
"New windows have been fitted and there is no air circulation so you are going to get condensation.
"Were all very conscious of rain at the moment, but I have lived in the area for 20 years and never flooded so I'm sure it won't happen again. It was exceptionally wet weather."
The council have taken a number of steps to protect Dale Road and surrounding areas. These include sending water down a raw water mains and using pumps to reduce water flowing past the road.
A damaged section of culvert under Old Barn Lane has been replaced and the culvert in Dale Road is surveyed by CCTV and has been cleaned.
An agreement between Surrey County Council, Tandridge, Sutton and East Surrey Water and the Environment Agency will monitor the Bourne flow.
And the Environment Agency has introduced flow meters in the Bourne to monitor the flow rate.
There are further works in progress including cutting of the tree roots in Dale Road which have entered the culvert.
The council has yet to confirm when an investigation into the floods under Section 19 of the Flood and Water Management Act will be published. It was set to be made available to the public in December last year.
