Flood Risk Guidelines Published
Following the flooding that has terrorised the UK over the past couple of years, flood risk guidelines have been published for developers .
In order to ensure that new homes are as flood proof as possible new guidelines have been published by The Association of British Insurers.
The new flood risk guidelines are there to help the members to gauge risk involved when insuring a property against flooding as well as the consumers who could be buying a property that is at a possible risk from flooding.
Under the new guidelines insurers will expect builders to ensure that they have worked with the Environment Agency in England and Wales, to certify that property developments have been approved.
The guidelines state that if developments are located in specific flood risk areas, then measures should be taken to reduce the risk of flooding. This includes having raised floors and using flood resilient building materials.
Homeowners will also be given details of the measures carried out to combat the flooding, so that they can present them to insurers, to prove that despite the location of a property, that it is in fact safe.
The Director General of The Association of Insurers said that "Climate change means that buildings are increasingly vulnerable to damage caused by severe weather, such as flooding".
If new builds are to be sustainable communities and help the housing market to once again get back on its feet, then the design, build and location must withstand these changes to the climate. The new guidelines will ensure just that and help developers to increase confidence.
A kite mark scheme has been talked about, so that buyers and insurers can easier tell if a property has been designed and built to withstand climate change.
The Government are keen to meet the target of three million homes by 2020 and these new guidelines will help developers to move towards this target and ensure that homes are not at risk.
Insurers are also going to continue offering flood insurance cover to properties that are at risk until 2013 - but the cost of this will reflect the risk. Any homes built after January 1st of 2009 will be exempt from this though, although insurer will offer cover, but will be under no obligation to renew these policies when they finish.
Climate change now means that the number of people at risk from flooding could grow from 1.5 million to 3.5 million by 2080 and the annual cost of flood damage could rise from the present level of £1 billion to £25 billion.
If you want to talk to a flood insurance loss assessor then get in touch with AKA Assisted Claims today.
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