Flooded property - now blighted?

no1gymbunny

I wasn't quite sure where to post this thread as the flood thread doesn't seem to be getting many viewers any more! It's quite a tale, I'm afraid!!

My flat was flooded out in July. The builders have pretty much finished the renovation works now and I sould be able to take up occupancy in another week or so. My flat is in a new build block (it's about 2 and a half years old now). When you stand in my flat and (more so) the flat door next to mine the level of the pavement is actually above the ground level inside. Surely, this is a breach of the building regs? Can someone pleae advise me whether I and the neighbouring flat owner have a case for suing the builders?

Immediately following the floods I called into the local planning office and aked whether the planning permission for the block had a condition for providing flood defences as there is a little brook about a couple of hundred yards away. They said that a condition of the permission was to provide 'adequate' flood drainage system - who knows whether that exists? Even if they had built a low wall around the block it would have been useless as the water came up through the concrete floor amazingly.

Also, the block is in an old part of town with 1930s and Victorian properties where you have to go up at least 2 steps to get into them, whereas the new builds (there's a mixture of flats & townhouses) are accessed levelly from the pavement. I appreciate that there are new regulations in force to provide wheelchair access, but ramps and steps could have been implemented. Also, with that in mind, the properties are accessible from the car park at the rear via steps only and so wheelchair users would have to go around to the front of the block and there is no dipped kerb to allow access! Madness!

Any advice gratefully received.

Thanks

epz_2

you get basement flats which are a lot lower than a couple of feet below street level, cant see any reason why they would ban it.

PasturesNew

No. There is no law against property being lower than the road.
There are lots of properties like that. Always have been, always will be.

But if it were me I'd personally not buy one as my first thoughts would be:

1] More susceptible to flooding - and I'd check the environment agency webpage for that area
2] Probably all the road water will splash this way in heavy downpours
3] Dirt will fall downwards, making the property dirtier than one higher up
4] People might be able to see in more easily

An adequate drainage system would just mean wide pipes carrying water away, but that would not mean that in exceptional weather situations it wouldn't flood.

As for "madness" ... you chose to buy it.

A developer puts in planning permission - and builds as per their permission, advices, knowledge and budget. Then people buy them. People buy different properties for different reasons - and everybody's looking at different things when they look ....

It's unfortunate, and I sympathise, but I don't see anybody to "blame" for anything.

mrs_deadline

My advice would be try and keep things in perspective as it was a particularly extreme summer for rainfall. What you've just been through was more than likely a one-off, only time will tell.

The environment agency website gives an idea of how foreseeable flooding is in any given area. I would check it if I were you, then you'll have the same info that buyers would be able to get hold of:

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/flood/?lang=_e