A new report by Policy Connect for the Westminster Sustainable Business Forum calls for changes to the insurance industry to accelerate deployment of flood resilience measures and combat the climate crisis.

Since 2013, more than 10% of all new homes in England have consistently been built on land at risk of flooding (flood zones 2 and 3). In response, this latest report from the Westminster Sustainable Business Forum – Bricks and Water: managing flood risk and accelerating adaption in a climate emergency calls for action from government, regulators, and industry to help vulnerable communities better manage the growing risks that they face from flooding as the climate crisis worsens.

The report follows a yearlong inquiry, chaired by Baroness Mcintosh of Pickering, exploring the challenges surrounding flood risk management in England and drawing on evidence from a wide variety of stakeholders, including Parliamentarians, civil and public servants, academics, NGOs, and industry.

Building on the success of their previous two Bricks and Water inquiries (2018 and 2020), Policy Connect and the Westminster Sustainable Business Forum have put forward a practical set of recommendations to help both newly planned development and existing properties be better protected from flooding. In particular, the report makes several recommendations for both government and industry, to accelerate the uptake of property flood resilience measures.

The report calls for:

• Clearer planning guidance and greater resources for Local Planning Authorities to take enforcement action,
• The Government to enact Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2020, by the end of this year, and
• Updates to building regulations to include property flood resilience measures, a VAT exemption for products and materials used to make homes more resilience, the mandatory use of discounted insurance premiums, and adoption of the Build Back Better scheme throughout the insurance industry.