THE first £1m has been paid out by the Government to more than 180 flood-hit farmers to help their business recovery after last winter’s storms.

In total more than £9m will be allocated to more than 1,000 farmers across Northern England as part of the Government's Farming Recovery Fund.

The fund was part its response to the unprecedented December flooding in the wake of Storms Desmond and Eva.

The fund has helped farmers mend and replace fences, stone walls and gates, clear debris deposited on land, restore damaged river banks and reinstate field access.

Farming Minister George Eustice said: "The Farming Recovery Fund was set up as part of a wider £250m package of government support to help communities affected by the devastating December floods.

"I am delighted that more than £1m of repairs have been completed and reimbursed by the Government."

Mark Grimshaw, chief executive of the Rural Payment Agency (RPA)?, said: "I would encourage those who have had their applications approved, to send their claims for completed work to us before the end of December deadline."

All farmers who applied to the fund have been notified of the outcome of their application. Claims for completed repair work must be submitted to the RPA by December 31. Any farmer who cannot meet the deadline owing to exceptional circumstances should contact the Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200301.

Grants of up to £20,000 were available to farmers in devastated areas. The number of applications approved amounted to 244 in Yorkshire worth £1.764m; 15 in County Durham worth £128,411; 61 in Northumberland worth £479,607; 559 in Cumbria worth £5.525m; 149 in Lancashire worth £1.158m and seven in Greater Manchester worth £59,381.

The Northern region of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) welcomed the announcement. Libby Bateman, regional rural adviser, said the fund had provided vital support.

"It has helped them repair damage, get their businesses back up and running and increase their resilience for the future," she said. "We will keep working closely with applicants and with the RPA to ensure payments still to be made are paid as smoothly and swiftly as possible."

Mrs Bateman said similar funds will be crucial in response to extreme weather in the future but called for certain issues to be resolved.

She said: "The priority is to create greater flexibility in the timings for carrying out work. Delays in issuing farmers and landowners with letters of approval for remedial work have meant that some have had to carry out time-critical repairs at the risk of not getting reimbursed. Coupled with delayed BPS payments, this has put a great deal of additional pressure on farm finances.

"There have also been issues with river bank work and a lack of consistency in advice from the Environment Agency, which is bound by licence conditions that have been unworkable in these extreme circumstances."