Tag Archives: Flood Re

SOFLAG meeting on flood insurance

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South Oxford Flood Action Group (SOFLAG) was formally launched yesterday evening (16 July) at a public meeting in St Luke’s Church in South Oxford. At the start of the meeting, Rachel Hastie and David Macdonald talked briefly about the groups aims, which are to raise awareness of flood risk in the area, and increase people’s understanding of their individual flood risk and what they can do about it.

The group identified flood insurance as an issue of concern for many local residents, so they invited Emma Holroyde from Flood Re to explain the current arrangements which ensure householders at risk of flooding can obtain affordable flood cover. Flood Re is a partnership between government and the insurance industry. The scheme allows insurers to pass on flood related elements of a policy to Flood Re. It is funded by a levy on the insurance industry. Anyone trying to get flood insurance should be able to obtain quotes from insurers signed up to the scheme.

Flood Re is also working on creating a market-based solution for the longer-term, where it is no longer needed. This includes promoting the Build Back Better initiative where insurers help those affected by a flood to make their homes more flood resilient, thereby reducing the likelihood of future claims. For more information see the Flood Re website.

Emma was followed by Adrian Porter, a resident of South Hinksey and a member of the OFA steering group. He talked about the devastating experience of flooding in 2007 and how he negotiated a cash settlement with his insurer so that he could make the house flood resilient. In 2014, when serious flooding again occurred, the inside of his home stayed dry even though the water outside was much higher than the floor level inside. He was later able to sell the house because it was protected against flooding.

Following the presentations the audience had an opportunity to ask questions, and there were was time also to talk to presenters and SOFLAG members after the meeting. Fifty-eight people attended the meeting, plus speakers and SOFLAG volunteers.

OFA worked with Project Groundwater to help set up SOFLAG and has acted as an advisor to the group. SOFLAG has funding from Project Groundwater to dig a borehole at St John’s Church, New Hinksey, and install gauge boards on streams in the area. These will be used to track changes in ground and surface water levels with the data being made available through a publicly accessible website. They are looking for local volunteers to monitor levels on the gauge boards during flood incidents. More information here.

Meeting with Layla Moran, MP for Oxford West & Abingdon

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We had a successful meeting with Layla Moran, new MP for Oxford West & Abingdon, last week.

We talked about the proposed extension of Seacourt P&R, to which we are strongly opposed. The proposal by Oxford City Council involves building in the floodplain and is in our view clearly contrary to national planning guidance. We see many other problems with the application too. We have submitted detailed comments in the past, and have now made further objections which can be found on the Oxford City Planning website:

https://www.oxford.gov.uk/info/20066/planning_applications/328/view_and_comment_on_planning_applications

The application reference number is 16/02745/CT3.

We shared with Layla our ideas about making the most of the opportunities for freshwater wildlife that the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme (OFAS) offers, and about ensuring robust arrangements for its maintenance long into the future.

Layla
  • is very supportive of our position on Seacourt.
  • aims to raise flooding in Parliament to address issues around how Flood Re is operating.
  • intends to join the All-party parliamentary group, APPG, for Flood Prevention.
  • is going to see what she can do to help secure the remaining money needed for OFAS.
  • was due to meet the Environment Agency soon after meeting us and would raise with them the question of long term maintenance for OFAS.
We look forward to working with Layla in the future.

Flood Re

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We welcome the recent launch of the Flood Re insurance scheme, which should ensure every homeowner can get affordable flood insurance for their property, but only if it leads to wholesale changes to the way the insurance industry responds to flood events.

Insurers are being asked to pay into a central fund that will be used to cover the cost of claims made by homeowners affected by flooding. This should mean an end to the sky-high insurance premiums and policy excesses that many of us have had to endure over the years, and will allow people to insure their homes against flooding when previously it was unaffordable. The flip side is that it is likely insurers will pass the cost of the creating the fund onto all their policy holders which will result in an average increase in annual premiums of about £10.50 per household. It is also only available to owner-occupied properties, not those in rental accommodation.

To find out more and to see whether your insurance company have signed up to the scheme please visit http://www.floodre.co.uk.

Although a positve first step, we at OFA would like to see insurers work to reduce the total amount paid out due to flooding by:

  1. Contributing to local and national schemes that reduce the impact of flooding
  2. Advising and incentivising homeowners to protect their properties appropriately
  3. Working with local agencies to ensure adequate response is provided during and immediately after a flood event.