Home owners in the UK whose properties are at risk of flooding who have seen the price of their insurance rise in recent years have been urged to speak out. as reported on Friday, 02 May 2014 by Property Wire the Premier global property news service. They are being warned that government plans could leave …
Flood Re only covers owner-occupied homes built before 2009 that are worth less than £320,000… The Flood Re 2015 scheme is a public relations disaster waiting to happen for the insurance industry, according to Insurance expert Hiscox chief executive Bronek Masojada.
House of Commons Managing Flood Risk Para 50. Agreement that the Government will “prevent unnecessary building in areas of high flood risk”. Evidence to the Committee’s previous Future Flood Management Legislation inquiry supported this approach—for example, an insurance company urged that “clear attention” be given to curbing construction in areas exposed to high flood risk. …
Hundreds of thousands of households in flood-prone areas will be guaranteed affordable flood insurance after the government and insurance industry agreed a deal today. (27 July 2013) After negotiations with the Association of British Insurers (ABI), this new agreement replaces the current ‘Statement of Principles’ that runs out at the end of July and will …
Defra and Association of British Insurers reach an agreement on flood insurance Read More »
Government accused of game of bluff with insurers as thousands of flood-risk properties could soon lose cover reports The Guardian on 31 March 2013. The chairman of a national charity that helps householders affected by floods has accused the government of “playing with people’s lives” as it looks increasingly likely that thousands of homes will …
Failure to reach flood insurance deal is ‘playing with people’s lives’ Read More »
Developers are planning tens of thousands of new homes in areas at high risk of flooding, it can be revealed. Thousands of homes planned for flood plains; Analysis by The Sunday Telegraph of planning applications that the Environment Agency objected to because of flood risk has revealed developers last year submitted more than 3,000 separate …
In August 2012, Professor David Crichton, an expert on ‘Flooding issues’, updated his earlier academic paper stating that England should copy Scotland in flood risk prevention. He calls for planners, developers and architects to be “legally liable when people are flooded” this he says is a way of preventing further high risk flood zone and …
Government’s new environment secretary Owen Paterson on Friday 14 September 2012 when speaking to Anna Burdett of The Cumberland News advised that the practice of building homes on land that has flooded in recent years as “idiotic, people should become more aware when buying a house and of the consequences of buying in an unwise …
Building homes on Flood Zones idiotic says Environment Secretary Read More »
Thursday, 19 July 2012 a Plea for help as West Cumbrian flood insurance crisis grows as reported by the Times & Star: Some Cockermouth householders can no longer afford to pay for flood insurance. The scale of Cockermouth’s flood insurance crisis can be revealed today as residents continue to struggle with issues more than two-and-a-half …
Plea for help as West Cumbrian flood insurance crisis grows Read More »
Careful study needed if Wales is to make good use of floodplains says Simon Haslett, Professor of Physical Geography and Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of Wales in his article at Wales Online. Certainly for residents of flooded areas it may be the first time in living memory that they have suffered an inundation, but that …
On 15 June 2012 Jan Harris of Finance Markets reported that recent flooding could lead to higher insurance premiums. Floods currently affecting Wales and south east England could be following by a rise in the price of home insurance premiums, according to analysts. The heavy rainfall could cause some insurance companies to miss their profitability …
13 June 2012 “This is Money” report says “As flooding hits Britain again, homeowners face big bills and a timebomb ticking for future insurance cover. Already some customers are finding they are being quoted huge flood excesses of as much as £10,000 and extremely costly premiums”.
Flood-risk households get closer to insurance guarantee“Comment on article-but will it remove the fear of floods, see statement below by mother and householder Rita Edge of Cleator, West Cumbria“: original article by Lisa Bachelor; guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 8 May 2012 12.33 BST
Like Ireland and Queensland, England has yet to adopt sustainable flood management practices on any large scale. Indeed land use planning is becoming less regulated and is likely to result in even more inappropriate development in flood hazard areas under the new National Planning Framework: says Professor David Crichton MA(Hons), FCII..Chartered Insurance Practitioner.
The framework sets out the Government‟s vision for planning in England, focusing particularly on sustainable development and local decision making. It is vital that new development is insurable. Property insurance provides customers with the confidence that they are protected should the property be damaged or rendered unusable. Insurance is also a prerequisite for the vast …
Since it’s virtually impossible to sell an uninsurable house, house prices in the worst affected areas would plummet, trapping the vulnerable and those on low incomes in new areas which are likely to emerge as what the Environment Agency calls “deprivation hotspots”. And, in the event of a flood hitting, lives will be utterly destroyed …
Steve Gilbet MP-02 April 2012-Government must wake up to Flood Insurance Read More »
Recently Cumbria CVS completed a research project that established the importance of the work of the voluntary sector in helping Cumbrian communities recover from the November 2009 floods. It is interesting to note that on page 89 of the document they say: The ‘statement for principles’ ends in 2013. There have been a number of …
Role of the third sector in Cumbria flood recovery Read More »
The Government produced is much discussed bill on planning policy yesterday the 27 March 2012. Accompanying the formal document is the “Technical Guidance to the National Planning Policy Framework“. This is the ‘cheat sheet’ which directs all users on how to do things!! It is very interesting to note that following paragraph one (1) the …
Inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding should be avoided says Government Read More »
Joseph Rowntree Foundation says: Catastrophic flooding events have become increasingly frequent in the UK and, with climate change, are likely to become even more frequent in the future. Page 13 of this document states: In England roughly 10 per cent of new build is in flood plain. In contrast, in Scotland there has been no …
Social justice and the future of flood insurance Read More »
Pitt says in 2007: There should be a presumption against building in high flood risk areas Government says 2012: Government continues to recognise the importance of preventing unnecessary building in areas of flood risk and that new development that does take place should be safe and not increase flood risk.
The UK has suffered the driest 18 months since records and with the south east and east Anglia already officially in a state of drought the Association of British Insurers (ABI) is warning home owners to be aware of the risk of subsidence. Additionally the government may now be unable to complete the necessary flood …
Government may now be unable to complete flood infrastructure Read More »
Flooding is the biggest environmental threat facing the UK, according to Defra chief Scientist Sir Bob Watson. The risks of flooding are projected in increase significantly across the UK. The landmark Climate Change Risk Assessment, published earlier this year, set out a clear case on the scale of the risk facing the UK from climate …
Joseph Rowntree Foundation says on 07 March 2012: Flood insurance changes could bring ‘catastrophic losses’ As early as next year (2013), up to 200,000 homes in the UK could find themselves effectively uninsurable against the risk of flood.
BBC News 27 February 2012: Nick Starling, Director of the Association of British Insurers, said members were determined that flood insurance remained as “widely available and competitively priced” as possible but local authorities need to ensure that there is no more foolish housing development in high flood risk areas. Up to 200,000 homes could struggle …
Councils MUST Stop Foolish Housing Developments in High Flood Risk Area says Insurers Read More »
18 October 2011 Government planning reforms must not lead to unsaleable, uninsurable and uninhabitable properties warns the ABI.
The Environment Agency being the British Government body required to control, monitor and advice on all matters affecting ‘Floods’ says : Get the location of new housing right: We need to avoid building homes in places where we will regret doing so, such as in areas at risk of flood.
Families living in flood-risk areas could be left with uninsurable and unsellable home: The town of Morpeth in Northumberland faced massive flooding in 2008, hitting 950 homes. Alan Bell, chairman of the Morpeth Flood Action Group, says many locals have been unable to sell their homes because they cannot get affordable home insurance.
Copeland MP Jamie Reed, Labour’s shadow floods minister says, “Cancelled flood defence schemes and changes to flood insurance are causing communities up and down the country to begin to fear for the future. The fear among many is that Government action will lead to whole communities becoming not just uninsurable, but unmortgageable.