Hundreds of thousands of home owners in 12 parts of the UK could get a distressing £33,000 bill while many soon-to-be-built homes are also at risk.
These are the 12 local authorities in the UK with the highest risk of properties being hit by flooding, where more the one in 10 homes face a more than one percent risk of flooding.
This includes a total of 176,663 homes currently at risk, according to research from Allianz, with the average flood insurance claim last year at £33,000, while the biggest flood damage claim was for £450,000.
And despite the risk of rising waters hitting doorsteps, planners are determined to build new houses, with 7,116 new homes with full or conditional approval planning permission in the 12 areas.
Caroline Johnson, claims director of personal lines insurance at Allianz UK, said: “It is concerning to see so many homes being given planning permission in these areas.
“Floods are traumatic events for householders, who can see their homes ruined and a lifetime’s worth of possessions destroyed.”
The area with the biggest proportion of homes at risk is South Holland District, where 33.9 percent of homes could be flooded, with 19,982 at risk. Plans are in place for 1,695 new homes there with new applications for 178 this year alone until July 2024.
This is followed by another area of Lincolnshire, Boston Borough, where 30.8 percent of homes are in danger, with 12,547 properties in need of sandbags. Yet plans for 777 new homes are in the pipeline, with schemes for 159 submitted this year.
These are the 12 areas with the highest proportion of homes at risk of flooding, with the number of new homes planned:
- South Holland District – 1,9982 – 33.90 percent
- Boston Borough – 12,547 – 30.80 percent
- Fenland District – 16,045 – 25.90 percent
- Runnymede Borough – 10,096 – 22.10 percent
- King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough – 19,379 – 18 percent
- City of Kingston upon Hull – 24,174 – 16.80 percent
- East Lindsey District – 15,759 – 14.30 percent
- North Lincolnshire – 14,432 – 13.90 percent
- Spelthorne District – 6,257 – 13.00 percent
- Doncaster Borough – 21,029 12.60 percent
- Exeter Borough – 7,897 – 11.90 percent
- Windsor and Maidenhead Borough – 9,066 – 11.20 percent.
Ms Johnson added: “The Government has announced ambitious plans to build 1.5m homes over the course of this Parliament, and while we know more new homes are necessary, it is important that they are resilient to floods and bad weather.
“Our changing climate means that floods and severe weather are likely to become more common. It is important for national and local planners and developers to work together to prevent unnecessary development in high-risk flood areas and ensure that new homes are more resilient to floods.”
The area where the most homes planned is South Holland, with 1,695 homes in the pipeline, followed by King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, with 1,169 properties.
These are how many homes are planned for each area:
- Boston – 777
- Doncaster – 431
- East Lindsey – 367
- Exeter – 700
- Fenland – 545
- King’s Lynn and West Norfolk – 1,169
- Kingston upon Hull – 441
- North Lincolnshire – 44
- Runnymede – 170
- South Holland – 1695
- Spelthorne – 647
- Windsor and Maidenhead – 130.
