Flood Risk Assessments / Environment Agency

SilverSix

Evening All,

Has anyone here been successful with getting the Environment Agency to correct inaccuracies with their flood mapping?

I have lived on this new build development in Buckinghamshire for just over 8 years and never struggled to obtain Buildings & Contents insurance.

I noticed in the past year or two that quotes were rising and the number of providers willing to cover declining but was always able to find full cover at an acceptable cost £200-£250.

This year very few insurers will cover me fully for premiums less than several hundred pounds, with some citing £3-4,000. I have been able to source cover, excluding storm related flooding but out of principle and my lack of choice am agitated.

With my property build date of 2011 Flood Re is not applicable.

I contacted the EA last year and didn't make much progress. However this year having liaised with other affected residents, my local councillor and MP wrote to the head of the EA last month to progress this.

This stems from a brook, 60 meters away which last flooded the land nearby in 1992 The developer raised the land significantly before building but mitigate flood damage entirely.

The developer have a silly policy with regards to releasing planning documents and referred me to my local council. Checking their online portal myself was unfruitful and even after contacting them their development team couldn't find anything specific to help.

The EA FRA has the brook at 76m above sea-level but armed with an iPhone and altimeter app it can't be more than 72 given it was slightly below where I was stood for that reading. Last year the EA suggested evidencing the threshold height fo my property to insurers but they all just use the EA's maps.

Articles online suggest the laser method the EA use is in accurate, perhaps catching tree canopies or just being poor?

Any advice would be grateful appreciated!

Ben

hollie.weimeraner

If you can provide evidence of what you are claiming then you can challenge the EA maps. Give them a ring on 03708 506506 and they will tell you how to do it.

daveyjp

If planning asked for a flood risk assessment from the developer it will be online.

If not the EA will need verifiable evidence that their maps are wrong. They don't have resources to map everywhere accurately and there is no need to, so they work on a 'prove we are wrong' basis.

They will use your evidence to update their maps if they agree with the accurate mapping provided.

Ten years ago EA maps showed some land would flood at 3m above normal, detailed surveys required for a development to take place showed it wouldn't. Almost fours years ago the highest flood ever at 4.5m above normal happened and the land didn't flood. The application flood risk assessment maps showed flooding to 5m and were very accurate.