Villagers refused home insurance due to flood risk - Henley Standard

RESIDENTS of Benson say they are finding it increasingly hard to get home insurance after the village was said to have a "moderate" risk of flooding.

The Environment Agency said there was a one per cent chance of Ewelme Brook flooding in the village while a risk assessment carried out by South Oxfordshire District Council three years ago stated most of the village is on the flood plain.

Anne Fowler, who lives in Old London Road, experience problems trying to re-insure her house.

She received a renewal notice from Bedford Insurance but when she tried to arrange new cover, she was told the company would no longer insure her property but was not given a reason.

Mrs Fowler, an IT consultant, who has lived in Benson for 10 years, said: "I went on the internet to find some more companies but many won't insure you as Benson is now designated as a flood zone for some reason."

She spoke to five or six companies before being given a quote, which she felt under pressure to take.

Mrs Fowler said: "I have no idea if the price is competitive, I just felt compelled to take it. You have to have insurance so you have to take it, however much it is. It is wrong and simply not what insurers are meant to do. Their business is to spread and manage the risk — they are not supposed to cherry pick people that are unlikely to claim."

Ian Leppard, who lives in Benson high street, had the same problem a couple of years ago when he tried to purchase house insurance from Lloyds.

He said: "We went through the form and it all was fine until we got to my postcode, OX10. I was told that I was living in a flood plain so they refused to give me insurance.

"I was rather annoyed that I had spent 20 minutes on the phone to be told that."

He managed to find insurance with Aviva but was recently unable to renew his insurance due to the age of his house, so he switched to the Co-op.

Mr Leppard said: "People talk about phoning round to the get the best quote but now we feel like we have to stay with the one we've got as if you move, companies say they don't want you."

He added that there had been no significant flooding in Benson in living memory.Upstream readings taken at Benson Lock this week measured the water level at 0.08 metres, about 20 times lower than the height to cause a flood. The downstream readings measured the water level at 2.31 metres, which is about half as high as it would need to be to cause a flood.

Bill Pattison, chairman of Benson Parish Council, said: "The Environment Agency is the authority but it must not just take levels on the ground into consideration but whether there has been a flood.

"Certain areas have flooded in the past but they don't extend to some of the areas where people have had difficulty getting insurance. According to the data, everywhere around me should flood but it hasn't flooded in the 26 years I have lived here."

John Cooper, community engagement officer for the Environment Agency, said 40 per cent of houses in the village were assessed to be at significant risk of flooding with a greater than one-in-75 chance of flooding in any year.

He added: "If you take steps to reduce the chance of your home flooding or the damage that floodwater can cause, you may find it easier to get insurance. We encourage all residents to check to see if they are at risk of flooding and take action to prepare themselves."

Published on 28 May 2012