Of the 1.4 million new homes that were built in England from 2013/14, one in 13 are in national flood zone three, according to analysis by Aviva.
In a release, the insurance giant said 8% (equivalent to 109,017) of new homes face the highest risk from flooding in England. In flood zone three, there is a one in 100 or greater annual probability of river flooding or a one in 200 or greater annual probability of flooding from the sea in any year. It was noted that 2022/23 figures, which are not yet available, do not form part of the at-risk homes approximation.
“It’s concerning that almost 110,000 new homes have been built in the last decade in a flood zone, leaving thousands of homeowners and tenants at risk,” Aviva’s Jason Storah, chief executive for UK & Ireland general insurance, commented.
“Crucially, these homes are not covered by the Flood Re insurance scheme and many may have been constructed without flood resilience. Not only are these newly built homes at high risk – they also face the prospect of repeated flooding and may not be protected by flood defences to prevent or limit flood damage.”
Meanwhile, research commissioned by Aviva found that 13% of residents whose homes were built in the last five years have been affected by flooding inside their properties; 16% have had a flood event in the garden; 26%, water leak; 18%, storm damage; and 15%, subsidence or other event such as tree damage.
“It’s worrying that many newly built homes have already suffered a flood within five years of construction,” Storah said. “This suggests the homes may have been built in unsuitable locations to standards which are unable to withstand flooding…
“If we are to prevent more scenes of devastation caused by extreme weather, we need to work collectively to change where and how we build. By building houses that are climate-ready and able to withstand the multiple impacts of climate change, we can provide safe and sustainable homes for our future generations.”
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