The Property Flood Resilience Action Plan, chaired by Dr Peter Bonfield, brings together government and industry and establishes an action plan to ensure property owners are better equipped to prepare for flooding and get back into homes and business sooner if it does.
The report explores:
- the role of building regulations and certification, in encouraging use of flood resistant construction methods;
- how rigorous independent standards can provide confidence in flood products across the industry;
- how insurers can further increase their support for property owners installing flood resistant measures, particularly at the repair stage.
A one stop shop web portal, www.centre4resilience.org, has been established to make it easier for people to find the most relevant information on better protecting their properties against flooding.
This advice – targeted at homeowners, business owners and third parties such as insurers – includes:
- precautionary actions to take to better protect your property from flooding;
- actions to take if your property is in imminent danger from flooding;
- live flood warnings;
- recent case studies and research.
Furthermore, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) has produced a new consumer guide to resilient flood repair which insurers are helping to circulate.
A number of the organisations involved in the report are also already working more closely to help recently flooded homeowners – with the Business Emergency Resilience Group (BERG), part of Business in the Community, setting up flood advisory services in three local authorities hit by flooding last winter.
NFU comment:
We welcome the new measures coming in to increase resilience to properties. Flood warning systems are a fundamental part of increasing a farm business’s resilience to flooding, therefore it is vital that these systems reach the most rural communities as well.