The number of homes being built in areas at risk of flooding is rising … and in one place alone almost every home built was in an area vulnerable to flooding.
One in 10 (11%) of all new homes built in England in 2016-17 were constructed in type 3 flood zones - an area the Environment Agency defines as either an area with a “1 in 100 or greater annual probability of river flooding” or a floodplain.
The Local Government Chronicle has revealed that in Boston, Lincolnshire, 97% of new homes were built in type 3 flood zones … and 91% of all land there is in such an area.
According to the Environment Agency, the east Lincolnshire area has experienced at least seven major flooding incidents in the past 20 years including one in 2014 which flooded around 600 homes in Boston.
The data has come from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government which reveals that other areas high on the list include Hull with 92% of homes built in type 3 zones along with the London boroughs of Southwark and Hammersmith and Fulham.
Although the total number of homes was not released in the data, the latest figures show this proportion was an increase on the 7% of total homes built in 2013-14 and is a continuation of a growing trend to build in flood zones.
Of the 326 authorities that were listed, 203 (62%) built fewer than 5% of their respective new homes in flood areas in 2016-17. There were nine local authorities where more than half of all new homes built in 2016-17 were in flood zones.
For more on this story go to https://www.lgcplus.com/services/housing/revealed-the-areas-building-the-most-new-homes-in-flood-zones/7024731.article
Many homes and businesses now have FloodSax Sandless sandbags so they are prepared for flooding.
FloodSax are transformed from being as light as a pillowcase to being more effective than traditional sandbags in just three minutes and are ideal at soaking up spills as well as stopping running water.
Around 2.5 million have now been sold worldwide.
* Written by Andy Hirst at AH! PR http://www.ah-pr.com/