‘Flood ghettos’ threat to towns at risk of further heavy rainfall
FLOODED towns are facing more heavy rain this weekend, as unprotected areas are at risk of becoming “ghettos” if the Government does not change its insurance scheme, a think tank has warned.
Last night, more than 70 flood warnings remained in place, with the focus shifting to Yorkshire and the North West.
As much as a month’s rainfall is expected to fall today, with the Met Office warning that the downpours will continue into next week.
The threat of more flooding comes as the Government faces scrutiny over an insurance scheme set up to protect homeowners.
Flood Re was created by the Government and the insurance industry in 2016 to make flood insurance affordable for households in high-risk areas. But homes built after 2008 are not eligible for the scheme, and a new report has found that some 70,000 residential properties have been built on land at the highest risk of flooding in England since 2009, including 20,000 that were not protected by flood defences.
Bright Blue, a think tank, has found that around £5billion worth of properties are undefended against flooding, with hundreds of millions spent building at-risk properties in Lincolnshire, Somerset and Yorkshire.
Ryan Shorthouse, the think tank’s director, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “As climate change is increasing flooding risk there is a danger that we create flood ghettos, that we have uninsured properties, that small businesses don’t move into those areas, that people are unable to move homes and sell their homes.” One of the areas under scrutiny is Doncaster, where 727 residential properties have been built in high flood risk areas since 2008. Ed Miliband, the former Labour leader and MP for Doncaster North, told The Daily Telegraph: “Victims of the flooding in Doncaster were promised by the Prime Minister that there would be schemes to support them. That promise must be honoured, Flood Re needs to be extended and it needs to ensure protection for all those at risk of flooding.”
The Met Office said that parts of Yorkshire are facing up to 80mm of rainfall, with a further 40mm on Monday.
In Sonning, Berks, George and Amal Clooney have seen water surround their £12million Grade II listed mansion, as the property faces being flooded for a second time in four years.
Yesterday, the Prince of Wales visited Pontypridd, South Wales. Speaking to locals about the effects of climate change, he said that he “had been warning about this for many years”.
“Unfortunately, no one was listening because they thought you were a bit cuckoo and talking to your flowers.”
‘We need to ensure protection for all those at risk of flooding’