“The Government’s announcement yesterday for ‘record’ investment into more than 1000 flood alleviation schemes is an ambitious one to deliver in this current fiscal year with increased spending of £860m, however a very welcomed one. There are still millions of homes around the UK that need to be protected so this committed spending programme will bring greater certainty and continuity to households affected and to the flood protection industries supplying these schemes, to help the country avoid the current pitfalls that occur due to the current ‘start stop’ approach to flood mitigation.
“Most welcome, though, is the tighter restrictions on planning permission for new builds because we need to reduce the number of homes at risk, rather than increase them.
“The enthusiasm from the flood re-insurance scheme, Flood Re, for a?build back better?proposition for the existing 5.2m properties liable to flooding is also positive and we await the detail in their remit from this announcement. Rather than current insurance policies with like-for-like replacements after an event, these insurance policy changes will improve a property by allowing insurers to pay additional amounts for property resilience measures, such as flood barriers or doors, so recovering from a flood is much quicker and cheaper.
“The other big issue though, which is unlikely to be a part of the announced spending plan, is how we remedy surface water flooding, which is increasingly affecting communities as we saw in London last week, as its remedies are in improved drainage, SUDS and with, some imagination, natural floodplain management (NFM) in suburbia. “Surface water flooding is occurring more often these days due to the ever-increasing amount of impermeable surfaces and the high intensity rainfall events we’re experiencing through climate change. It is also harder to predict, plan for and respond to yet 1.4m of affected properties suffer from surface water flooding.
?“The Government report published this month on surface water management action is of equal importance as it outlines how local authorities and the Environment Agency?will work closer in this area with new mapping by 2022 and a more joined up approach, however, how this is being funded is still not clear.
Protecting your home against flooding
“To protect your home against flooding, understand the flow of water around your property. Walls, gates and fences can cause water to collect while grass can help as extra drainage. However, surface water drains often overflood so consider flood doors and barriers, and self-sealing air bricks. Have an emergency flood kit in place especially for flash floods, containing things from food and water supplies to a first aid kit and flashlights, and if you’re renovating the downstairs parts of your home, consider things like ensuring plugs are located a certain distance off the ground and replace carpet for flood resistant flooring.”
|
