Residents forced to quit their homes following the summer flash floods in March and surrounding villages are set to get a three month, 100 per cent discount on Council Tax.

Fenland District Council’s Cabinet are being asked to recommend the “special” one-off local discount for approval when they meet next week.

A total of 16 families have been forced to move out of their houses because of damage caused by the flooding which happened over the weekend of August 9 and 10.

Twelve homes in March, two in Leverington, one in Doddington and one in Wisbech St Mary have been left unoccupied and householders have contacted the council seeking help with Council Tax while they are in temporary accommodation as they are currently paying two amounts.

Prior to April this year there was an automatic exemption from Council Tax while a property was empty due to flooding, but a change in the rules means that is no longer the case.

Local councils do have the power to grant discounts in certain circumstances and a report to next Thursday’s Cabinet explains an exemption for three months will cost the council £5,114.

It also states the majority of the 16 householders will be back in their properties within three months, with only one expecting to be out for as long as eight months.

The report recommends the local discount be referred to as “100 per cent Council Tax discount in repect of properties left unoccupied as a direct result of the flash flooding on August 9 2014” in order to distinguish it from any other ad-hoc requests the council may receive regarding Council Tax.

Cabinet’s decision will have to be ratified by the full council.