posted 30 Oct 2011 11:50 by John Alexander
28 October 2011The National Audit Office reports today that giving greater responsibility and discretion to local authorities to identify flood risk and target investment raises significant challenges, especially during a time of budget cuts and other newly devolved responsibilities. The NAO considers that greater value for money can be achieved through these reforms, but key elements of what is required are not yet in place. Local knowledge of surface water flood risk is far less advanced than national information on risk of flooding from rivers and the sea. Local authorities are experiencing difficulty in recruiting and retaining appropriately qualified staff. Only 30 per cent of the local authorities the NAO spoke to thought they had the required technical expertise. Local decision-making is hampered by the need to cross-refer between nearly 20 different plans that affect local flood risk management. It is not yet clear how the Department and the Environment Agency will provide assurance nationally that arrangements are working. The Environment Agency has improved its own efficiency since the NAO last reported in 2007. The Agency has a better understanding of the condition of existing sea and river defences. It has brought 98 per cent of defences classified as 'high consequence' if they fail, up to target condition and is directing more of its funding towards these defences. In addition, the Agency has provided better flood protection for 182,000 households against a target of 145,000. The Agency estimates that, owing to climate change and ageing defences, an increase of £20 million is required on average each year between 2011 and 2035 to maintain the current level of flood protection. However, central government funding to the Agency has reduced by 10 per cent over this spending review period compared with the last. If central funding does not increase after 2014-15, maintaining and improving the nation's flood defences will depend on significant additional funding being secured locally. Currently, some 95 per cent of funding is provided by central government. The NAO found that local bodies will be hard-pressed to plug any funding gap while under pressure to deliver a number of other newly devolved responsibilities. And the Department's plans to encourage more local funding could see some defence schemes that have attracted private or other funding going ahead in advance of schemes elsewhere that provide greater benefits. Amyas Morse, head of the National Audit Office, said today: "Greater local discretion over how funding is targeted has the potential to improve value for money in flood risk management. Local bodies will have to meet the new expectations placed on them - including that of raising investment locally - while under the pressure of delivering on other newly devolved responsibilities. If these challenges are not met, the Department's reforms will have failed to fulfil their potential to increase levels of investment in flood management and value for money to the taxpayer." Notes for Editors- Over 5.2 million (one in six) properties in England are at risk of flooding from rivers, the sea, or surface water. The annual cost of flood damage in England is more than £1.1 billion and is expected to rise.
- The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has policy responsibility for flood and coastal risk management. In 2010-11, it spent £664 million and gave 95 per cent of this (£629 million) to the Environment Agency. The Agency has operational responsibility for flood and coastal risk management. In addition, local authorities spent £101 million supported by revenue support grant on local flood risk management activity.
- The NAO has previously reported, in 2007, on the Environment Agency's flood and coastal defence programme. In the same year, the Government commissioned a review by Sir Michael Pitt in response to the major summer floods. The Pitt Review, Learning lessons from the 2007 floods, June 2008, resulted in 92 recommendations aimed at clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the flood risk management authorities and improving delivery.
- The Flood and Water Management Act 2010 is the Government's main legislative instrument to implement the Pitt Review. It makes the Agency the responsible body nationally for the strategic overview of flood risk management from all sources of flood risk; places new responsibilities on the 152 upper-tier local authorities (unitary and county councils) to strategically manage and coordinate local flood risk (from groundwater, surface water runoff and water courses other than main rivers and reservoirs); and places a duty on flood risk management authorities to cooperate and act consistently within the framework of local and national flood risk strategies.
- Press notices and reports are available from the date of publication on the NAO website, which is atwww.nao.org.uk. Hard copies can be obtained from The Stationery Office on 0845 702 3474.
- The Comptroller and Auditor General, Amyas Morse, is the head of the National Audit Office which employs some 880 staff. He and the NAO are totally independent of Government. He certifies the accounts of all Government departments and a wide range of other public sector bodies; and he has statutory authority to report to Parliament on the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which departments and other bodies have used their resources.
Press Notice 58/11 All enquiries to Sarah Farndale, NAO Press Office: Tel: 020 7798 5350 Mobile: 07985 274421 |
posted 22 Sep 2011 01:49 by John Alexander
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updated 22 Sep 2011 01:54
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By RUTH LYTHE
Millions of families living in flood-risk areas are being threatened that they will be placed on a blacklist, which could leave their homes uninsurable and unsellable. About 5.5 million households classed as ‘at risk of flooding’ are caught in the middle of a tug of war between the profit-hungry insurers and a cost-cutting Government An agreement called the Statement of Principles is in force between insurers and the Government. It states that insurers will cover existing homes in flood-prone areas — although they can choose to increase premiums. Insurers also agree to continue covering existing homes in areas of very high flood risk under the deal — so long as the Environment Agency has announced plans to cut flood risk in those areas within five years and the properties are already insured. But this deal expires in June 2013 and as, yet there, are no signs of a new agreement being struck.
Insurers have a list of demands to ensure local councils are not allowed simply to wave through applications for new homes in flood areas.
These include promising proposals to hand Whitehall planning powers over to local councils do not result in more homes being built in areas at high risk of flooding .
Insurers also want proof a £150 million budget cut to flood defence funding won’t put more homes in danger and that Government policies will reduce flood risk.
If these demands are not met, many will refuse to give cover or hike premiums to unaffordable levels. But the Government is under huge pressure to build new homes — there will be a 750,000 shortfall by 2025 — and has identified many flood plains as potential areas for this.
The standoff could see those living in flood areas unable to get a new mortgage or home insurance, unable to move, or made to wipe tens of thousands of pounds off their property value if they want to move.
Charles Tucker, chairman of the National Flood Forum, says: ‘People will become trapped, unable to move to a new job, unable to upsize as a family grows, unable to downsize when they want to retire.
‘The consequence for communities is blight and a downward spiral of desperation and deprivation.’
A deal has to be struck by June 2013, when the agreement which forces insurers to give cover expires. However, a number of floods that have devastated communities — and cost insurers billions of pounds — have forced a deadlock.
Campaigners believe insurers are already hiking premiums — with flood victims seeing home insurance costs rocket by up to 500 per cent in the past two years, according to charity the National Flood Forum (NFF).
From July 2013, insurers will be allowed to select whom they cover. Some homeowners in Workington, Cumbria, which was flooded in 2009, have been quoted excesses for buildings cover of up to £10,000.
The maximum buildings insurance excess that many leading mortgage companies including Lloyds, Halifax and Santander, will allow is £1,000.
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.
According to a survey by the group, buildings insurance premiums in the town have risen by an average of 72 per cent in the past two years, while others are struggling to get cover.
Mr Bell says: ‘Estate agents are seeing deals falling through as buyers can’t get affordable insurance.
‘Few properties have sold in Morpeth since the floods and most of those have been sold to landlords at discounted prices.’
A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs says: ‘We are working closely with the insurance industry to ensure flood cover continues to be provided beyond 2013.’
But insurance insiders have told Money Mail talks are not ‘where they want them to be’.
A spokesman from the Association of British Insurers says: ‘We want to continue to be able to make flood insurance widely available after 2013. But we need to see the Government implement a long-term strategy, which shows investment in flood defences is helping to reduce the risk in areas prone to flooding.
‘It’s vital the current Government proposals to reform the planning process do not lead to new developments in high flood-risk areas.’
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posted 21 Sep 2011 10:15 by John Alexander
Since the floods of 2007, 182,000 households in England are now better defended against flood risk – this exceeded the Environment Agencys target by some 37,000 homes according to a report published yesterday. The ‘ Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Progress Report 2008 – 2011 for England’ is a statement of what has been achieved over the last three years. More than 300 flood defence schemes across the country were completed or upgraded in the past three years by the Environment Agency, local authorities and internal drainage boards. More than a quarter of those were carried out in the East of England at a cost of £240M. In the North West, over £140M was spent in reducing the flood risk to just 17,000 households. The report also shows that the number of homes and businesses signed up to its free flood warning service has almost quadrupled nationally to 1.1 million from just 300,000 in 2008. As a result, the percentage of eligible high-risk properties signed up is now at almost 60 per cent – having risen from just 14 per cent in 2008. Money has also been made available through local authorities to help private householders to protect their properties. Grants and funding for equipment that prevents flood waters from entering a property such as door and window barriers, vent covers etc. Dr Paul Leinster, Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, said: “We continue to reduce flood risk through better flood warnings and improved plans to respond when flooding does occur. However, the reality is that flooding can’t be totally prevented. More people are becoming aware of the risks a flood might pose. Everyone should check the Environment Agency’s website to see if their house is in a flood risk area and to find out what simple steps they can take to prepare for flooding such as signing up for free river and sea flood warnings.” Richard Benyon, the Floods Minister, said: “We want to reduce the threat of flooding and the anxiety it brings for as many people as we can. I’m pleased that the Environment Agency has reduced the threat of flooding for thousands of homes over the last few years and I am determined to see this progress continued. An easy way to improve your flood protection is to be better prepared, which is why I encourage those at risk to continue to sign up for the Environment Agency’s free flood warnings.” Associated links. Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Progress Report 2008 – 2011 for England - Full report (PDF) |
posted 21 Sep 2011 08:50 by John Alexander
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updated 21 Sep 2011 08:57
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By Ed Ballard - Aug 19, 2011 5:31 PM GMT
Emma Summerfield returned home on a rainy November evening in 2009 to find her vacuum cleaner afloat on a rising tide in her cellar. Hours later, her 18th century mill-house in Cumbria, northern England, was six feet deep in water. When the water receded, it left rooms wrecked, walls destroyed, and the sewage of four nearby cottages everywhere. “It’s just a house, but we’d put our heart and soul into it,” Summerfield said in a telephone interview. “Trying to get the house back together was absolute hell.” After an insurance payout of about 90,000 pounds ($145,764) from Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc (RBS)’s Direct Line unit, Summerfield, 36, was back in her home seven months later. Now, because insurers are reassessing the viability of flood insurance, thousands of future victims may not be so fortunate. Direct Line and Aviva Plc (AV/) are among British insurers threatening to tear up an agreement with the government that commits them to cover high-risk properties, even after claims rose threefold to 4.5 billion pounds in the last decade, because the U.K. is cutting spending on flood defenses. Smaller insurers not party to the so-called Statement of Principles are also cherry-picking low-risk homes and undercutting rivals, according to Aviva’s head of claims, Dominic Clayden. “We’re not going to look to renew the Statement of Principles -- it’s bust,” Clayden said in a telephone interview. The market is being “dragged down” by new insurers that haven’t signed up to the agreement, he said. He declined to identify individual companies. Aviva declined 2.1 percent to 315.3 pence in London trading, compared with a 1.9 percent fall in the 28-member Bloomberg Europe 500 Insurance Index. Spending CutsBritain’s coalition government is engaged in the biggest spending cuts since World War II to cut the country’s record budget deficit. It will reduce spending on flood defense to about 2.1 billion pounds over the next four years, from 2.36 billion pounds over the last four years, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Government projects range from the construction of concrete and metal barriers, to building pumping stations and replanting forests in floodplains. One plan to build a 150 million-pound barrier to protect the city of Leeds, England from the River Aire, is now unlikely to be fully funded by the government, according to the U.K.’s Environment Agency. That means “we may not be able to provide the same scale of defenses as originally planned,” the EA said. “Many schemes in areas at high risk will continue to receive full funding from government, whilst others will receive large contributions that will go a long way towards meeting the amount needed,” DEFRA said in an e-mailed statement. Risky Properties Insurers agreed with the government in 2000 to cover homeowners in flood-prone areas so long as the state pays for measures decrease flood risk to ensure coverage is affordable and widely available, according to the Association of British Insurer, which lobbies for British insurers. ABI members agreed to subsidize the insurance of risky properties until June 2013 by charging homeowners in safer areas more, according to the agreement. Homeowners in affected areas only pay 42 percent of the true cost of their insurance, according to data published by Axa SA (CS) last year. “While in force to 2013, the Statement of Principles is unsustainable for future use and was agreed under very different circumstances,” said Kate Syred, home commercial director of Direct Line in an e-mailed statement. “Since then our knowledge of flooding risk and its management is more advanced.” Insurers have told the government they don’t plan to renew the Statement of Principles, said a DEFRA spokesman. “We need to find a new mechanism to ensure that flood insurance is still available,” he said. High-Risk AreasToo many homes are also being built in high-risk areas without steps being taken to manage flood risk, according to Aviva’s Clayden. Insurers paid out 4.5 billion pounds in flood claims between 2000 and November 2010, according to the Association of British Insurers. Britain’s planning regulations enable house-builders to construct homes on flood-prone land. Between 12,000 and 16,000 new homes were built in areas of high flood risk annually in the past decade, 10 percent of all new homes in the period, according to the Committee on Climate Change, a government adviser. The “government’s got to choose -- they can’t walk away from this,” Clayden said. “I go to places called Water Meadow Close and you think ‘what are you guys doing here?’” The frequency and severity of floods hitting Britain is increasing because of climate change, which has led to fiercer rainstorms, increased river flows, and higher storm surges, according to the Environment Agency. More than five million U.K. households are judged to be at moderate or significant risk of flooding, according to the agency. ‘Looming Crisis’ “This is a looming crisis,” said Jamie Reed, a lawmaker for Cumbria for the opposition Labour Party in an e-mailed statement. “Massive flood defense cuts have completely distorted the insurance market for homeowners and businesses. This could leave whole swathes of the country uninsurable and thousands of properties unmortgageable.” ABI members can refuse coverage for high-risk homes built since 2009 or impose higher premiums. Emma Summerfield’s annual premium doubled to 1,000 pounds since her home was flooded. Nigel Allen, a 53-year-old director of a printing company in Oxford, discovered he had to pay 1,400 pounds to insure his house with Lloyds Banking Group Plc (LLOY)’s Halifax unit, compared with 400 pounds for his old home with Aviva, after moving to a new property that was flooded in 2007. “The new insurance was a bit of a shock,” Allen said in an interview. “Aviva weren’t interested.” Contribute MoreAn agreement governing the management of flood risk is still possible, according to Ben Cohen, a London-based analyst at Collins Stewart Hawkpoint Plc. “Historically they’ve tended to find compromises on this sort of thing,” said Cohen. “Maybe if the government would contribute a bit more the industry would come round to providing the coverage.” Without a new arrangement many homeowners won’t be able to afford insurance, ABI spokesman Malcolm Tarling said. “The risk for our industry is that we reach 2013 and there’s no agreement for how flood risk will be managed centrally,” said Tarling. “Then there could be issues around the availability and affordability of flood insurance for people at highest risk.” To contact the writer on the story: Ed Ballard in London at eballard2@bloomberg.net |
posted 21 Sep 2011 02:43 by John Alexander
It is essential that the plans to give local communities power to decide what is built where do not lead to a rise in inappropriate developments in flood risk areas, writes Otto Thoreson.The fierce debate provoked by the Government proposals to reform the planning process shows how much people care about what is built and where. Understandably, the Government sees new sustainable developments as vital to the economic recovery. However, it is essential that the plans to give local communities power to decide what is built where do not lead to a rise in inappropriate developments in flood risk areas, leading to people facing a struggle to get flood insurance. The result would not be stimulation of the economy but misery for people when their homes are flooded. The flood risk is rising. Over five million homes — one in six properties — and 185,000 businesses in England are at risk. Even if our investment in flood management remained constant, a further 350,000 properties in England will be at significant flood risk by 2035. The new planning framework must not make a significant problem even worse. We need a long-term flood management strategy. Core to this must be a planning system that prevents inappropriate development in high flood risk areas. We are concerned that increased decision-making by local planning authorities, without proper strategic oversight, will not apply sufficiently robust scrutiny in flood risk areas. Building developments in high flood risk areas will make flood insurance harder to access and, if available, more expensive, possibly prohibitively so. A property that cannot get insurance is likely to be uninhabitable and unsellable. This will put further pressure on Britain’s already high demand for housing, and hit the recovery of the house-building sector.Insurers remain determined that flood insurance remains widely available. We need to be sure the National Planning Policy Framework safeguards against poor planning decisions. We look forward to being convinced. Otto Thoresen is director general of the Association of British Insurers |
posted 24 Aug 2011 06:05 by John Alexander
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updated 21 Sep 2011 08:56
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I recently attended both the Association of British Insurers (ABI) Biannual Conference and the DEFRA/ABI Flood Insurance Summit which was attended by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Caroline Spellman, who has herself suffered the appalling consequences of being flooded.
On both occasions the Insurance Industry has signalled very firmly that there will beno renewal of the Statement of Principles in 2013, which, if you don’t already know, is an agreement between the insurance industry and the government which says that insurers will continue to offer insurance cover for properties at risk of flooding as long as the government continues to invest in flood protection measures. With the government making cuts in flood defence spending, this Statement of Principles will not be renewed - instead there will be a return to risk based pricing of flood insurance. The ABI insist that the Statement of Principles distorts the market and the industry is presently cross subsiding the cost of flood insurance, this is no longer tenable and it will stop!
I have very real concerns that whilst insurance cover for flooding will remain available for those deemed at risk, the price of the policy will make it unaffordable and unobtainable for a huge number of people. What on earth will happen to those people when the next big flood happens? I think that this huge rise in the cost of flood insurance is little known about and for many of the 200,000 people who are at high risk of being flooded; when they get their insurance renewal after 2013 they will be in for a huge shock!
All involved in the DEFRA/ABI Flood Insurance Summit agreed that the general public at large need to be made aware of their risk. I suggested that as far more people now have access to social media such as Blogs, Twitter and Facebook, everyone involved in managing flood risk and raising awareness of flooding should make much better use of this medium. With the Know Your Flood Risk campaign, I have recently visited UK Flood Barriers in Droitwich to make a series of short videos on how people can protect their homes from being flooded, including what sort of products are available on the market, for instance, flood barriers, airbricks and anti-backflow valves. These videos are all available on the Know Your Flood Risk YouTube channel.
Everyone attending the DEFRA/ABI Flood Insurance Summit agreed that potential home buyers need to know their flood risk before and not after they buy their homes, so at the very least they can either chose not to buy a property at flood risk or move into their property aware that they are at risk and make preparations for it; for example purchasing a flood risk report to find out if the property is at risk, signing up to the Environment Agency’s free flood warning service and if necessary purchasing and installing some flood protection products.
I am very hopeful that new specialist insurers will come onto the market to minimise the impact to home and business owners of the end of the Statement of Principles. I also hear that a new alternative to flood insurance will soon be launched, which whilst not perfect, will give some semblance of hope to everyone at risk, with no one being turned away for insurance if they are at risk of flooding. As soon as I hear more, I’ll let you know in my next blog post.
One of the projects that I’m currently involved in is the design of the Flood Protection Association’s new website. The Flood Protection Association is a non-commercial trade body set up to support flood protection manufactures and generally promotes the use of property based flood protection. I’m hopeful that this new website will become a portal for everyone wanting to find out more about how to protect their homes from flooding, how to find a reputable flood protection provider and how to find a qualified flood surveyor. Watch this space for news of its launch! |
posted 14 Jul 2011 14:10 by John Alexander
Houses still being built on floodplains despite higher risk of flooding, says Committee on Climate ChangeFiona Harvey, environment correspondent guardian.co.uk, Thursday 14 July 2011 08.09 BST  Around 12,000-16,000 homes in England are still built on floodplains each year. Photograph: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images Local authorities are continuing to allow tens of thousands of houses to be built on floodplains, despite a growing risk of flooding as climate change takes hold, according to a report from the government's climate adviser. The report, from a sub-unit of the Committee on Climate Change, also found a marked increase in the risk of drought across the country. At present, only 8% of key water "resource zones" – catchment areas for water – are in danger of a shortfall in supplies, even in a severe drought. Within 15 years, that number is likely to be about 45% if nothing is done, meaning millions of people could be affected. Lord Krebs, chair of the adaptation sub-committee, called on the government to take action urgently to head off much greater problems with drought and flooding. These could include tougher building regulations so that all houses were equipped with water-saving devices, including water meters, and those at risk of flood with preventive measures, ranging from sealed airbricks to raised floors and flood-resistant paint. He said: "By taking steps to manage this vulnerability, local communities, businesses and households can save money today and reduce the costs of climate change in the future." At present, the UK is coping with these problems, but the committee warned that in key areas of infrastructure, such as water supply and flood protection, the country was "near its limits ... and could be pushed over the edge by climate change". Government cuts earlier this yearreduced the number of flood defence projects by a thousand. Krebs said he was surprised at how many houses are still built on floodplains around the UK – around 12,000 to 16,000 every year in England alone. He said one of the key reasons could be aesthetic: houses built on high ground, where they are less at risk of flood, are more visible than those set in a valley, where they are at much greater flood risk. If people object to houses being visible in their view, that could put local authorities off attempting to build on more suitable ground. "My assumption is that local authorities are making trade-offs between floodplain building and considerations of natural beauty," he said. David Symons, director at environmental consultancy WSP Environment & Energy, said planning policy should be changed radically. He said: "Current planning policies provide too much wriggle room for local authorities. Although local authorities do have to consider and consult on flood risk, they have the power to ignore these findings completely and grant planning permission to new developments regardless of the risks. " This was exacerbated by the government's new assumption in favour of development, and because the government changed the way it funds flood mitigation – it now encourages match funding from the private sector for flood protection investments. "This means that development in the floodplain could be more likely if a developer is willing to pay the premium as part of obtaining planning permission," said Symons. This could mean developers simply pay an upfront cost, leaving the householders to cope with the after-effects. Other infrastructure at risk from the effects of climate change includes roads and railways, the electricity grid, and communications networks. The committee's report called for the companies involved to investigate further how they could cope with the possible effects. Krebs also urged people to take low-cost measures to help keep their houses cool in hot summers – these could be as simple as curtains. |
posted 5 Jun 2011 14:58 by John Alexander
An old video introduced by Mary Dhonau but still very relevant today
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posted 2 Jun 2011 14:49 by John Alexander
The "most flood-prone" areas in Cheltenham have received funding for flood protection measures.Twenty-four homes in the Whaddon area will benefit from the £102,200 awarded to Cheltenham Borough Council. Methods that may be used include the installation of flood resistant gates, pump systems to extract flood water, and raising electrical sockets. Councillor John Rawson said: "This is good news for people in one of the most flood-prone parts of the town.
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posted 26 May 2011 02:53 by John Alexander
Concrete is normally poured,
trowelled, cast or even sprayed. Now it is available in roll format,
thanks to an innovative new company who have developed a material called
Concrete Cloth. Although the material has been around for almost 4 years
it has, until now, been predominantly used by the military - it was originally
developed for the Army as a means of upgrading defences in the harsh Afghan
climate .
Now, has it been discovered by a
growing number of construction firms who are using it for a wide range of
infrastructure projects including ditching, drainage, pipe protection,
structural fire protection and even as a roofing material. Unrolling
concrete is faster and simpler than conventional methods and it can be done
whatever the weather. And because it enables concrete to be applied in
thin fibre-reinforced sheets it can reduce the amount of concrete and hence the
carbon footprint of building works by up to 10 times!
Concrete Cloth works by trapping a bespoke dry concrete mix
within a fibre matrix and sandwiching it between a waterproof membrane and a
fabric skin. In its dry form it behaves like a thick carpet and can be
unrolled in lengths up to 640 feet. Once wet, the rapid set concrete
hardens to 80% strength within 24 hours and becomes a robust, durable,
waterproof surface with a design life of over 25 years.
Concrete Cloth has been deployed by the Environment Agency,
Network Rail, British Coal, Costain and a number of local councils in the UK
for weed inhibition, slope protection (you try pouring concrete on a slope),
ditch and culvert repair and they are considering its use for river scour
(especially around bridges, parapets and walls), blinding, rebar and soil
erosion.
It’s uses are limitless and its cost, per sqm, is about the
same as that for a medium wear household carpet. |
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