ABI: Planning laws must recognise flooding risk

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The government is being called upon to instigate tougher planning regulations to prevent homes being built where undue risk of flooding persists.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has warned that at present buildings insurance could be difficult to come by for consumers buying homes on flood plains - in fact, it goes so for as to warn that some homes could be "unsaleable, uninsurable [and] uninhabitable".

Justin Jacobs, assistant director property for the body, told the Architects Journal conference that issues with flooding and house insurance could put current plans for widespread homes construction in doubt.

"In the last year 13 major developments have been given the go-ahead despite Environment Agency advice on the flood risk," he argued.

"Where a local authority plans to ignore flood risk advice, the Government should step in and review the proposals and be compelled to publish their decision."

He added that while insurers want to be able to continue to offer flood cover as part of home insurance packages, allowing poor planning practice could compromise their ability to do so.

The news follows a summer of heavy rains and flooding in 2007 which impacted significantly on the home insurance market.

In December, the ABI lobbied for the government to formulate a 25-year flood strategy to address the perceived increasing risk.

The calls came as a result of its evaluative report Summer Floods 2007: Learning the Lessons.

Stephen Hadrill, director general of the body, stated that the right decisions made by the government now might ensure that home insurance remains widely available throughout the country.

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