Floods fears for York households as Environment Agency issue revised risk maps

The Environment Agency (EA) has published a revised version of its flood map for York in the light of more accurate and up-to-date information.

The map shows which areas are thought to have a one-in-100 risk of flooding each year if there were no defences, and which areas have a one-in-1,000 risk of being affected by an extreme flood each year.

Swathes of several communities, including Rawcliffe, Fulford and Bishopthorpe, are now considered to be at risk in an extreme flood.

But several other areas which were previously thought to be at risk in such circumstances, including part of the York Central site, and communities alongside the River Foss such as Huntington, are no longer considered at risk.

Elsewhere in North and East Yorkshire, risk zones include land to the north-west of Malton, south-west of Pickering and south-west of Pocklington.

Coun Richard Moore, whose ward includes Rawcliffe and Clifton Without – where he estimated up to 2,000 homes on almost 100 streets have now considered at risk from an extreme flood – said last night that he feared insurance companies could use the map to justify hikes in household insurance premiums, or even refuse cover to new customers.

He also warned of potential planning implications, for example for people wanting to build house extensions, and said house buyers might also try to use the map to push down the asking price for properties.

He said: “There are serious questions to be asked about how these maps have been derived. Some of the streets shown at risk have been built in accordance with EA advice about avoiding flooding."

But the Agency strongly defended the accuracy of the maps, and stressed that changes did not mean any areas were at increased risk, but that better data enabled it to draw up a more accurate picture of risk.

“The flood map is intended to inform the public, and organisations such as local authorities, about the likelihood of flooding and encourage people living and working in these areas to take appropriate action. The insurance industry uses our National Flood Risk Assessment, alongside other information, to inform their calculations on cover and premiums.”

• To check the flood risk to your property and find useful advice about planning for floods, visit: environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/31650.aspx

Water risk a factor in planning decisions

CITY of York Council said throughout the planning process any flood risk had to be considered and was a key factor in determining whether permission should be granted for new developments.

A spokeswoman said: “The overall aim of the planning process is to steer development to areas at the lowest probability of flooding and to demonstrate that there are no suitable alternative sites available.

“If there are no such sites available, it must then be demonstrated that the proposed development provides wider benefits to the community that outweigh the flood risk.”

She said householder applications for domestic extensions and conservatories within flood risk areas had to be accompanied by a flood risk assessment, which needed to recognise any necessary measures which could include ensuring proposed floor levels would be no lower than existing solid floors, and electrical circuits and sockets would be well above floor level.

Insurance firms will study maps

THE agency’s flood maps are taken into account by some insurance firms when assessing properties for household insurance, says the Association of British Insurers.

It said some companies used only the agency maps, some used their own, and some used a combination of both. But a property’s presence in a flood risk zone was unlikely to be the sole determining factor.

Insurer Direct Line said it regularly reviewed its flood rates, using the latest mapping technology in its calculations.

Aviva said it took account of both its own and the agency’s flood maps when considering applications for house insurance.