The government has to continue investing in flood defences, says AA Insurance .
Simon Douglas, director of AA Insurance, is also urging local authorities to deny planning permission to build in high flood risk areas, despite pressure to provide housing . He said that the floods last year had revealed that many drainage systems could not cope with prolonged rain and that authorities should assess the risks of future flooding and invest in drainage accordingly.
Mr Douglas noted that many people who had been affected by flooding did not have any insurance in place and quoting figures from the Association of British Insurers (ABI), stated that half the claims came from homes that were not considered to be at risk. He added that the events last year showed that flash flooding can happen anywhere and warned people to ensure they had a “watertight insurance policy “.
According to the telegraph, the ABI is warning that insurers may not be able to provide flood cover if the government doesn’t ensure acceptable flood defences .