Insurers call for councils to draw up surface water management plans

The UK insurance industry has urged the Government to legislate to give the Environment Agency overall responsibility for managing all forms of flooding and to require all local authorities to produce local surface water management plans.

These initiatives are highlighted by the Association of British Insurers in its response to the administration's consultation on improving surface water management.

Justin Jacobs, the ABI's head of property, said: "One of the key lessons from last summer's devastating floods is that we need to rethink how we manage excessive rainfall. A detailed assessment of the risk posed from heavy rainfall and where improvements are needed a more co-ordinated approach and, crucially, adequate investment."

Meanwhile, in a separate but related development, the property sector has called on the Government to increase spending on flood prevention measures.

A letter sent to ministers by the British Property Federation said: "The Government must supply sufficient funding for flood defences to ensure that insurance companies continue to be able to offer affordable flood insurance to areas of flood risk."

The BPF has also argued that proposals to remove permitted development rights for householders planning to pave over gardens and driveways with impermeable material could prove unnecessarily burdensome for planning officials.

It has told the Government that a better solution would be to encourage local planning authorities to make article 4 directions in high flood risk areas.

A Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesperson said: "The Government recognises just how important sustainable urban drainage systems are. We are grateful to the ABI's contribution to our consultation on this issue which closes today. We will consider it along with all the others we have received. We expect to publish responses later on this year.

"The Government is committed to effectively managing flood and coastal erosion risk, which is why we have nearly doubled the spending on flood and coastal erosion risk management in cash terms, to an estimated £600m in 2007-08. Our investment over the next three years will total £2.15bn - with an £800m planned spend in 2010-11 alone."

Read the Association of British Insurers news release

Read the British Property Federation press release

Roger Milne

1 May 2008