One in nine new homes built in England between 2022 and 2024 were constructed in flood-prone areas, new data shows.
According to analysis by insurance company Aviva, the number of homes built in areas at risk of flooding over the period rose from one in 13 in the decade to 2022.
The findings, based on new homes address data and the Environment Agency’s (EA) latest assessment of local flooding risks, reveal 11% of 396,602 homes built between 2022 and 2024 are in areas of medium or high risk of flooding, while more than a quarter (26%) have some flood risk.
A third (32%) of the constituencies with the highest number of new homes built in high or medium flood risk areas are in Greater London or Essex.
The data also shows that by 2050, one in seven (15%) of the homes built during the period will be at high or medium risk of flooding and almost a third (30%) will face some kind of flood risk as extreme weather worsens.
It comes amid a period of extensive rainfall in the UK that could see areas face further flooding “for months to come” after rivers in parts of Britain reached record-breaking levels last month.
‘A future scandal’
Commenting on Aviva’s analysis, former EA chairwoman Emma Howard Boyd said building houses in flood-prone areas is “a future scandal waiting to happen” and called for a change to planning rules.
She accused the government’s National Planning Policy Framework of “watering down flood protections, meaning more water in our homes”.
Jason Storah, chief executive of UK and Ireland general insurance at Aviva, said that while he was supportive of Labour’s pledge to build 1.5 million during this parliament, it was “vital” they were built in the right place.
He warned that new homes being built in flood risk areas are not eligible for the Flood Re scheme, which aims to make insurance affordable and accessible for households living in high-risk areas.
Homes built since 2009 are excluded from the scheme, to prevent building in flood-risk areas.
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Mr Storah added: “As our [Aviva] analysis shows, too many new homes have been built in higher-risk areas.
“It’s particularly worrying that this trend has risen in recent years, just as house building accelerates.
“Importantly, these homes are not protected by the Flood Re scheme, which excludes homes built after 2009 to prevent more new homes being put at risk.
“Sadly, as the study shows, this simply hasn’t happened.”
