Wednesday 5th December 2007
No insurance cover should be extended to properties which are built on flood plains, according to the Environment Agency.
Baroness Young of Old Scone, chief of the government body, notes that such houses would be constructed against the agencys advice.
As a result, she tells Channel 4s Dispatches that insurers should refuse to cover buildings which are at a greater risk of flooding due to their location.
"Wed like the insurance companies to be tougher and to refuse to insure properties built on the flood plain against our advice," she tells the show.
The warnings are echoed by the Association of British Insurers (ABI), which this week published its report Summer Floods 2007: Learning the Lessons.
As part of a 25-year plan to help lower the likelihood of British homes becoming flooded, the ABI suggests that building on flood plains should be kept to a minimum.
Research conducted by the organisation in areas which were hit by the summer floods reveals that nearly two-thirds of residents expect to be flooded again in the future.
Many respondents told the ABI that more needs to be done to improve the drainage infrastructure in their area if the visions of waterlogged towns and villages are not to be repeated.
Director general Stephen Haddrill asserts that a long-term strategy could help to ensure that properties can continue to receive cover in the future.
"Insurers want to continue to provide flood insurance," he claims.
"The right decisions from the government will ensure that flood insurance remains widely available and affordable."
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