Homeowners Should Invest In Their Own Flood Defences

The government has said that households at risk of flooding should take on the responsibility of preventing future damage to their homes.

This is despite the fact that such precautions may not reduce the cost of their home insurance or that they would even be able to buy flood cover.

The comments come as the minister for natural environment and fisheries, Richard Benyon, confirmed that a five-year agreement between the government and the insurance industry, which guaranteed homeowners in flood-hit areas could buy flood cover, will not be renewed when it ends in June next year.

The Statement of Principles agreement is crucial for homes already hit by flood as it means insurers will continue to provide cover as long as the government continues to improve flood defences.

Following a substantial investment in flood defences by the Labour government, the current government has cut the funding.

This has lead the insurance industry to claim the government has reneged on the agreement and that they do not want to continue with the deal. The results will be thousands of homes left without insurance by next summer.

Benyon has said households should invest in their own flood defences including air brick covers, non-return valves and seals for cat flaps.

Referring to a review of a government scheme which provides surveys of homes at risk of flood he said: "The review has shown that property-level protection is cost-effective and the study has underlined the practical help and emotional reassurance that this form of protection gives to people who are at risk of flooding."

He is however expected to acknowledge that people with improved home defences may still not be able to afford insurance.

He said: "The lack of recognition by insurers of property-level protection is still a significant barrier to the wider take-up of such measures,"

"This is just one of the reasons why we are working together with the insurance industry towards the announcement in the spring of a new shared understanding which sets out more clearly what individual customers can expect from their insurer, and from government."

Despite this Benyon will make it clear that the government will no longer subsidise homes at risk of flooding.

(H/GK)