Buying a
property that may be within the range of a flood plain has become even riskier
due to the news that around 200,000 homes at risk from flooding could face
problems getting insurance from next year.
Properties that
have a 75% chance of flooding in any one year are those most at risk. Boston
and Skegness in Lincolnshire is the constituency with the most homes at
significant risk of flooding with
7,550 properties under threat, followed by the Vale of Clwyd (7,339 homes),
Folkestone and Hythe (7,196), and Windsor (7,125). Some properties in Great
Yarmouth also fall into this category.
The reason for
this is that an existing deal with the Government expires in 2013 and time is
running out for ongoing talks about a new safety net arrangement.
The Association
of British Insurers’ director-general Otto Thoresen said: "Insurers want
to make sure that every home has access to affordable insurance, should the
worst happen, and we're concerned that those people most at risk will lose out
unless the Government considers a safety net.
"We are
frustrated with the progress of our talks with the Government on this issue and
want it to look urgently at a model that would allow flood cover to remain
widely available and competitively priced. No country in the world has an
entirely free market providing universal affordable flood insurance, and action
is needed now to avoid 200,000 high-risk homes struggling to afford
cover."
The possible non
- availability of insurance may make it more difficult for people to find a
mortgage for properties in the affected area and may lead to current home
owners in those areas feeling trapped.
Those acting for
prospective owners of such property need to keep a close eye on this
development and to warn clients of the what is happening and how this could
affect the future value of the property. Looking more closely at environmental reports
and assessing the risk of flooding will clearly be needed as will the
requirement to report the risk if indentified to the lender.
Unless Government
acts quickly to extend the current arrangement we could see a large number of
transactions failing over the next 12 months.
By David Pett Solicitor and Partner
