One in ten UK properties is at risk of flooding

18 January 2008, 11:59am

Almost one in ten properties in the UK at risk of flooding

Statistics released today reveal that almost one in ten homeowners and small businesses are at risk of flooding. Research conducted by GroundSure, one of the leading providers of environmental risk screening reports, reveals that almost 2.2 million homes and small businesses in the UK are located in areas considered at risk of flooding.
Regional comparisons show that London, where the highest proportion of homes and businesses are located, has the greatest percentage at risk of flooding. Areas in the West of the UK, in contrast, are the lowest at risk natinally.

Area --- Properties No --- % at Risk

North --- 3,960,242 --- 11.4%
South --- 4,430,336 --- 7.6%
West --- 4,966,990 --- 6.1%
East --- 5,004,132 --- 7.4%
London --- 6, 327,559 --- 11.7%

The growing consensus is that the UK is likely to see more flash flooding in the future as a result of what has been termed 'tropical storm rainfall'. If the weather experienced in the UK recently is an indication of future weather patterns, serious questions have to be raised over the financial implications facing individuals and small businesses at risk, along with the fitness of the UK’s entire national drainage infrastructure.

Paul Livett, Managing Director at GroundSure, commented: “To say that one in ten properties in the UK are at risk of flooding is a shocking figure to quote. Weather-related damage is increasingly becoming an issue in the UK. Summer flooding has been estimated to have cost Britain £3 billion this year.

“The recent announcement that the UK needs another three million homes by the end of 2020, and that a significant proportion of these will probably have to be built on flood plains seems untimely to say the least. From developers , individuals and insurers’ points of view, situating conventional residential developments on a flood plain is an extremely risky venture to undertake.

“As a nation the UK needs to think carefully about the long-term consequences of large-scale house building on low-lying land. Once these properties have been built and the land concreted over, potential buyers will need to know the risks facing their properties, and residents will naturally want to insure their homes.

“Realistically, though, there comes a point at which insuring these properties could become unfeasible for all parties concerned, and I believe this is where environmental risk screening becomes essential in order to identify the true level of flood and other risks associated with certain areas.

“It is our belief that in the near future, the fact that people in the past would even consider buying or building on land which had not had proper due diligence risk screening absolute madness. The statistics speak for themselves, the number of people putting their financial livelihoods at risk of very real environmental threat is quite astonishing, we want to encourage the uptake of sensible forward planning and risk assessment.”

www.groundsure.com

GeoConnexion UK