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Response to flooded houses must not be short-term – BSA

by: Paul Broadhead
  • 18/02/2014
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Response to flooded houses must not be short-term – BSA
Records for rainfall continue to be broken, storms have been upgraded to tempests and there is no doubt that a large number of individuals, businesses and whole communities are having a very rough time.

It has been interesting that the press and political volume in relation to these floods has been several notches above that experienced in 2007. So far this time around 5,000 homes have been flooded.

Six years ago it was ten times as many. The sceptic in me says that the extra attention we are seeing this time has something to do with the London and home counties effect.

Either way, it is good to see government attention focused on anti-flood measures and assistance for communities in the clear-up. We welcome the proposal for affected households to receive up to £5,000 to improve the flood resistance and resilience of their homes. We look forward to seeing the proposals from government on how this will operate.

What worries me is that this attention will be short-term and last only as long as the current crisis. For now it is crucial that the “money is no object” statement from the Prime Minister does not represent a buy now pay later approach where money for new flood defences is taken from the budget which keeps our current flood defences fit for purpose.

Looking forward, climate must be a core part of infrastructure policy decision-making: where and what we build in the future and how it is protected. At a more granular level, flood resistance and resilience must stay on the agenda not just for new build, where flood tolerance standards should be set, but for our existing housing stock too.

Lenders have a track record of helping homeowners to help themselves by providing additional mortgage lending to fund such measures, but this will inevitably be constrained by affordability criteria.

To further support householder action and bolster awareness I would advocate that the government scheme established to assist in the current crisis be retained to become a permanent feature. There are several hundred thousand homes which are at risk of flooding. These may have stayed dry this time around, but who knows what the future may hold. Once the wellies are off, our message is let’s engage.

Paul Broadhead is head of mortgage policy at the Building Societies Association

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