Tougher planning controls needed for new homes says the ABI

Tougher planning controls are needed if flood insurance is to remain widely available for new homes, the ABI (Association of British Insurers) said today.

Of the three million new homes the Government plan to be built by 2020, a third could be on the floodplain.

Speaking at the Architects’ Journal conference today, Justin Jacobs, the ABI’s Assistant Director of Property, warned: “The Government’s ambitious housing plans are in jeopardy unless we reduce the flood risk. In the last year, 13 major developments have been given the go-ahead despite Environment Agency advice on the flood risk. 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. Insurers want to continue to provide flood cover, but poor planning decisions will lead to more homes becoming unsaleable, uninsurable and uninhabitable.”