It is one of four North West local authorities which will receive personal flood protection funding for households through new grants announced by Environment Secretary Hilary Benn today. The others are Rossendale, Wigan and Cheshire West and Chester Councils.

The local authorities will receive a total of £221,200 to protect 86 at-risk homes, offering practical flood protection solutions including air brick covers and door guards.

The Government's £5m. Flood Protection Grant Scheme was announced as part of its's response to Sir Michael Pitt's review of the 2007 floods. The first round of funding in total, has been made available to 25 local authorities across England to protect up to 593 at-risk properties.

This funding for the North West is in addition to over £17.8m the Government plans to spend in the next five years on flood defence projects to improve protection for 4,300 homes in the area.

Mr Benn said: "While we're investing in more flood defence schemes, we need to recognise that in some areas, flooding can't always be prevented. That's why we're helping households across England to become more resilient to floods by protecting their homes from the damage and destruction that can be caused.

"People living in Ribble Valley will receive grants to help them better protect their homes. We had an overwhelming response to the grant scheme from local authorities. This is only the first round of grants and as a result of this interest, we'll be reviewing the money available for the second round with a view to providing even more funding to protect people's property."

Local authorities will be given flexibility in how they implement their schemes and the initial surveys they commission will ensure they know exactly how best to allocate the funding available.