Insurance experts have called for no more new homes to be built on flood plains, and some flood risk consultants have cautioned that Labour’s housing targets might not be achievable because they will come up against the harsh reality of flooding induced by climate breakdown.
The data from the national flood risk assessment shows the east of England – specifically the East Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber, and the south-east regions – accounts for 52% of the total number of properties in England deemed to be in areas of high to medium risk of flooding, without the impact of the climate crisis in the years to come.
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Laying these areas on top of the national assessment of flood and coastal erosion risk map, published last month, reveals these regions are where the largest number of homes are at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers and seas, and from surface water.
Daniel Cook, a chartered water and environment manager and specialist flood risk consultant, said there were regulations in place such as the national planning policy framework to ensure housing built on flood plains was appropriately designed and mitigations were made.
