Flood protection needs to be 'national priority'

By Marianne Straker, Tue 31 Jan 2012 - Published in Home Insurance

Residents need to make flood protection a "national priority", according to the head of AA home insurance.

A report by the Public Accounts Committee found that the annual damage caused by floods cost the country Ł1.1 billion and the figure is set to rise. The government recently announced that it plans to cut the Environment Agency's flood risk management budget by ten per cent.

This will mean that many homes across the UK will become unable to afford the insurance premiums needed to protect a property from flooding. In 2009, Britain was hit by a number of flash floods in places such as Cumbria and Kent as a month's rain fell in just 24 hours.

Now the AA is urging residents to make sure they have measures in place to stop any further property damage caused by floods.

Simon Douglas, director of the insurer, said: "Flood protection is a national priority, yet many people in flood-prone areas may find their homes difficult to insure from later this year. People want the government to take decisive action now, to ensure that their homes are protected."

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