In its Housing Green Paper, Housing Minister, Yvette Cooper, insisted that if the proper defences were in place, flood plains would not be ruled out as building locations, because of the acute need for affordable housing.
“The housing shortage means first-time buyers and young families are finding it increasingly hard to make their first step onto the housing ladder unless they have financial help from parents or relatives – and that’s just not fair. This is a green Green Paper, with tough planning rules on building in flood-risk areas.”
However, the market has lambasted the Minister, claiming the recent flooding should be a wake-up call.
Nick Starling, director of general insurance and health at the Association of British Insurers, said: “We need new homes but they must be built in the right place and to the right design. The devastation caused by the recent flooding shows the importance of planning for the future. We need a fresh approach to house building to take account of the increasing risk of flooding and ensure sustainable communities.”
Meanwhile, Henry Pryor, founder of primemove.com, said:
“Graphic reports on TV and in the newspapers have shown the appalling conditions that so many have had to endure recently and this is bound to be a knock-on effect as buyers shun these types of properties in risk areas. The cost of the 2007 floods could well cause insurance firms to look again at the risk they are writing and anyone left without cover could see a reduction in the value of their home of up to 25 per cent.”
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