Thousands of homes to be built on floodplains

As many as 9,000 new homes are to be built on floodplains, says Greenpeace, and are at serious danger of flooding.

The campaign group says that almost half of the developments earmarked for a £200 million government scheme could be refused insurance because of the risk.

In research released to the Daily Telegraph, it says that nine out of the 20 projects are fully or partially exposed to serious risk of flooding from rivers or sea.

Of these, six fall partly within high-probability flood risk zones, meaning there's at least a 1 in 100 risk of river flooding in any given year, or at least a 1 in 200 risk of sea flooding.

They include a development of 1,200 homes close to the River Aire, near Castleford in Yorkshire - which was under five feet of water last year.

There are even plans for 1,000 houses in Hinkley, on the Somerset Levels - the scene of some of the country's most severe flooding last year.
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And under the terms of the government's soon-to-be implemented flood insurance scheme, these homes would be excluded from cover, as are all properties built in flood zones since 2009. As Flood Re points out, it doesn't want building on flood plains to be encouraged.

As you'd expect, the Environment Agency (EA) advises strongly against building on floodplains. However, earlier this year, the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) pointed out to MPs that the builders of developments with fewer than 10 homes don't need to consult it.

Added together, says the EAC, around 12,000 new homes a year are being built without EA advice on flood risk - adding up to a significant total.

"Continuing to build houses on floodplains at high risk of flooding is foolhardy, as this is merely storing up risk and costs for the future," commented committee chair Joan Walley.

Meanwhile, research into historical flood deposits by the Universities of Aberystwyth, Cambridge and Glasgow reveals that the recent 'unprecedented' flooding in north-west England might be more common than currently believed.

"What is needed, is far more resilience for already-developed floodplains, and much more serious insistence that future floodplain development should be virtually curtailed," says Professor John Lewin from the University of Aberystwyth.

"Somewhere along the line floodplain development has been allowed by local authorities and the UK government to continue regardless."