THE PROPERTY FLOOD RESILIENCE ACTION PLANAn action plan to enable better uptake of resilience measures for properties at high flood risk
Dr Peter Bonfield OBE FREngChairmanSeptember 2016
ContentsMinisterial foreword 1Chairman’s overview 3Vision 7Challenge 8The Task Groups 15Actions and recommendations 17Next steps 21
Task Group Reports 22TaskGroup1:Actiontoassistfloodvictims 23TaskGroup2:Embeddingresilienceinsmallbusinesses 25TaskGroup3:Onestopshop 27TaskGroup4:Standards,certificationsandskills 29TaskGroup5:Communicationandbehaviourchange 31
Roundtable contributors 33Annex One: Howfloodresiliencemeasuresareviewedintheinsurancemarket 35Annex Two:Standardsandcertificates,developmentneeds 43
Ministerial forewordMaking properties more resilient to flooding can be hugely beneficial to individuals, families and businesses.Therese CoffeyParliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Environment and Rural Life Opportunities
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Thefloodsthispastwinterwerecatastrophic.Weexperiencedthehighestrainfallon-recordoverasingleday,buildingonsustainedrainfalloveranumberofweeks,leadingtothehighestriverflowlevelseverrecorded.Thisresultedinahugeimpactuponpeople,homesandbusinesses,withover17,000propertiesfloodedandthecostofthedamagecausedexpectedtobe£1.3bn.
DuringlastwinterhomeswerefloodedacrossthenorthofEngland,withvillagescut-offfromtheirneighboursandfamiliesforcedtoleavetheirhomesformonths.Roadswereclosedandmorethan100bridgesrequiredinspectionaftertheyweredamagedordestroyedandover170,000peoplehadtheirpowersupplyaffected.Railserviceswerecancelledanddelayed.
TheGovernment’simmediateemergencyresponsewastoprotectlivesand,wherepossible,property.Thankstothededicationofthousandsofpeople,wesawlessdevastationthatwemightotherwisehavedone.Manypeoplewithinmountainrescueteams,thepolice,themilitary,councils,faithgroups,theEnvironmentAgency,andnotleastthecommunitiesthemselves,workedtirelesslytohelpthoseaffected.
SoonafterIwasappointed,IvisitedfloodhitcommunitiesinCumbria.Isawsomeofthepracticalrepairandrecoveryworkthathastakenplaceaswellasthemeasuresbeingtakentobetterprotectcommunitiesaffectedbylastwinter’sflooding.
TheGovernmenthasalreadypaidoutover£250millionaspartofthesupportpackageofupto£5000grantswemadeavailableforeverypropertyflooded,withhomesandbusinessesabletoputinmeasuresthatpreparethemforfuturefloods–bothbystoppingwaterfromenteringapropertyandbymakingadaptationstospeedrecoveryifitdid.
Inaworldwherefutureextremeweathereventsareinevitable,theGovernmentcontinuestohaveakeyroletoplayinimprovingprotectiontothoseatrisk,whichiswhywearespending£2.5bnon1,500newflooddefenceschemestobetterprotect300,000homesby2021.TheGovernmentandtheinsuranceindustryhave
alsorecentlylaunchedFloodRe,anewbodythatensuresaffordablefloodinsuranceforhomeownersatthehighestfloodrisk.
PropertyLevelFloodResilienceschemesarealsoavitalpartofourtoolkit.Makingpropertiesmoreresilienttofloodingcanbehugelybeneficialtoindividuals,familiesandbusinesses.Toooftenpeopleareunawareofwheretogotoforadvice,theproductsthatexistandthebenefitsthattheycanprovide.Theyalsodon’troutinelygetanyincentivefromtheirinsurancepremiumsformakingtheirpropertiesmorefloodresilient.Andwhenthereisthedemand,buildersandsurveyorsarenotwellplacedtomeetit.Thenecessaryskillsremainnicheandthesectorlackswellunderstoodstandardsandcertificationschemes.Weneedtoaddressthesechallengestoensurethatpeoplehavetheinformationandconfidenceneededtomaketheirhomesmoreresilient.
Thatiswhymypredecessor,RoryStewart,askedPeterBonfieldtochairaRoundtabletobringkeybusinessintereststogetherandchallengethemastohowtheymightcontributetobringingaboutsignificantchange.Theenthusiasticcan-doattitudeofthegrouphasresultedinthisActionPlanwhichsetsapathforaddressingthemajorbarrierstopeoplebeingabletobetterpreparetheirhomesandbusinessesforfuturefloods.Italsoofferssomeimmediate,concreteprogress.Ultimately,itwillempowerpeopletoaddresstheimpactthatfloodinghasontheirlivesandlivelihoods.
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Chairman’s overviewIn late 2015 I was asked by Rory Stewart, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Environment and Rural Affairs to bring commercial interests together in a Roundtable to consider how collectively we could best enable and encourage the use of property level resilience measures for buildings at risk of being flooded.Dr Peter Bonfield OBE FREng
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Thisisaboutpeopleandfamiliesintheirhomes,businessesandotherorganisations,beingbetterequippedinafloodeventtoreducethechancesoftheirlivesandlivelihoodsbeingdisrupted;bothbystoppingfloodwaterenteringtheirproperties,andspeedingrecoveryifitdoes.
Ourmissionwastoidentifythereasonswhypeopledonotconsistentlypreparetheirpropertiesforflooding,andthendeterminewhatasaRoundtablewecoulddotoaddressthechallenges.Ourworkquicklygainedmomentum,resultinginthisActionPlanwhichsetsoutsometangibleactionsthatwehaveeitherundertakenorplanto.Wehavealsomadesomehighlevelrecommendationsthatsetoutthenatureofthechallengesweface,relevantforbothGovernmentandthebusinessworld.Idohopethatthisaddsavaluablecontributiontotheoveralldebateaswellaspracticallyresultinginmorehomesandbusinessesbeingbetterpreparedforflooding.
ThisActionPlananditsrecommendationsareafittingaccompanimenttothebroaderNationalFloodResilienceReview.Theybothhelpensure
thatthecountryisbetterpreparedforfuturefloodevents,atanationalandindividuallevel.
ContextTheclimateischangingandthishasresultedinextendedperiodsofrainand/orhigherintensitywhichinturnhaveledtoanumberofsignificantfloodeventsoverthelast10years,withmajorincidentsin2007,2009,2012,and2013/14.December2015wasthewettestDecemberonrecord,butalsothewettestcalendarmonthoverallsincerecordsbeganin1910.Morethan17,000propertieswerefloodedoraffected,includingover4000businesses.AslateasSeptember2016,over2000householdershavebeenunabletoreturntotheirhomesand700businessesarestillnotfullyoperational. Akeysolutiontoreducingthecostsofrepairofhomesandbuildingsandtoreducethemiseryanddisruptioncausedbyfloodingtofamiliesandbusinessesistoinstallpropertylevelresilientmeasuresintothebuilding.Thesecanbeinstalledaseitherapreparatory
measure,forpropertiesatriskofflooding,orduringtherepairofbuildingsaftertheyhavebeenflooded.Propertymeasurescanhelppreventfloodwateringressintoabuildingoraidrapidrecoveryandallowhouseholderstosimplywashoutanddisinfectafterflooding,ratherthanrequiringwholesalereplacementofthefabricortheproperty.ThisReportgivesstrikingcasestudiesthatshowhowquicklybuildingshavebecomeoperationalafterfloodingwhenfloodresilientmeasuresareused. Yet,despitetheobviousadvantagesoftheapproach,thetakeupoffloodresilientmeasuresremainslow.Itisnotyetnormalpracticeforpropertiesinareasathighfloodrisktobemademoreresilientfollowingaflood.ThisReporthasmadeanumberofrecommendationsthataimtomaketheinstallationoffloodresilientmeasurespartof‘normal’businesspracticeforthoseinvolvedintherepairofbuildingspostflooding,andalsotohelpthembeproactivelytakenupbyhomeandbuildingownersexposedtofloodrisk.
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A shared vision and commitmentTheserecommendationshavebeenderivedbyacoreteamofprivatesectorrepresentativesfromthecharity,insurance,lossadjusting,businessservices,products,legal,surveyingandfloodrecoveryindustries.ThiscoreteamhasinturnestablishedtaskgroupswithwiderstakeholderengagementtosupportthedevelopmentandimplementationoftherecommendationsofthisActionPlan.WehavebeenassistedbytheDepartmentofEnvironmentFoodandRuralAffairsandtheEnvironmentAgency.
Recommendations and outcomes:TherearesomekeystepsthatIbelievearecentraltoincreasingthelevelofPropertyLevelResilience.Theywillhaverelevanceforbothindustryandgovernment:
• FurtherexplorationofwhetherBuildingRegulationscanbebetterusedtoencouragefloodresistantandresilientconstructioninawaythatistailoredtomeettheneedsofpropertiesinareasatriskofflooding,withafocusonmethodsthatspeedtheirrecoveryfromflooding.
• AprogrammeofworkundertakenbyFloodRetoprovidetheevidencebaseovertime,neededtounderstandhowhouseholdersandinsurerscanbesupportedandpotentiallyincentivisedbyFloodReinthefuturetomanagetheriskoffloodingandreducethecostofclaimsthroughresilienceandothermeasures.
• Rigorousindependentstandardswithpropercertificationprocesses,thatenjoysupportacrosstheindustry,sothatconsumersorhouseholderhaveconfidence
inboththefloodproductstheybuyandtheinstallationofthem.
• Anindependentlyrunon-lineinformationportalanddatawarehousethatproperlyinformshouseholdersandsmallbusinessesaboutwhattodotomaketheirpropertiesresilienttoflooding.Includingclarityonfloodresiliencemeasures,servicesandinformationonapproaches.
• Astrongpartnershipbetweeninsurers,surveyors,thelegalprofession,materialsproducersandthegovernment,toencourageandenablethetakeupoffloodresilientmeasuresandmorefloodresilientbehaviourbyhouseholdersandsmallbusinesses.Includingpreparationforfuturefloodevents.
TheworkpresentedinthisActionPlanhasalreadydeliveredsomepracticaloutcomesacrossthepropertylevelresiliencesector.Notably,anadvicewebportalanddatawarehousehasbeenestablished;andanumberofpartieshaveworkedtogetherinthefieldtosupportthoserecentlyflooded.
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Going forwardGoingforwardtheseoutcomesneedtobefurtherprogressedandconsolidatedifwearetoseerealandlastingchange.ThereisconsiderablewillandintentwithintheRoundtableandfurtherafieldtoharnessthemomentumthathasbeencreatedbythisworkandfurtherpartnershipworkingwillhelpembedthesechanges;thisisthestartratherthanendofajourney.
Dr Peter Bonfield OBE FREng
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VisionTheGovernmentiscommittedtomakingsurethecountryhasthebestpossibleprotectionforourhomesandbusinessestosecureitsstrongeconomicfuture.Itannouncedanextra£700minfundingto2021,inadditiontothe£2.3bncapitalfundingithadalreadycommitted.TheFloodReschemeensuresthatpeopleatfloodriskhaveaccesstoaffordablehomeininsurance.
However,therewillalwaysbesomepropertiesthatareparticularlydifficultoruneconomictoprotectwithlargedefences.PropertyLevelResilience(PLR)hasavaluableroletoplayinmanagingtheirfloodrisk.
TheRoundtableandthisresultingActionPlanseekstobetterequiphouseholdsandbusinessestominimisethephysicalandemotionalimpactoffloodingontheirlives.Itaimstodosobytappingintotheuniqueskills,experiencesandopportunitiesthatthebusinessworldhastooffer.
TheRoundtablewouldliketosee:
After a year -abetternationalunderstandingofwhatpropertylevelresilienceis,amongstindividuals,communitiesandbusinesses
After 2 years –significantprogresstowardsdevelopingthesystemsandpracticeswithintheinsurance,buildingandfinancesectorsthatnormalisetheuptakeofpropertylevelresiliencewithinexistingactivity
After 3 to 5 years –asituationwherethoseathighfloodriskhavetheknowledge,capabilityandmeanstoadapttheirpropertiesinwaysthatlimitthephysicaldamageoffloodingonhomesandbusinesses,andspeeduptheirrecovery
After 5 years–anenvironmentwhereitisstandardpracticeforpropertiesathighfloodrisktobemaderesilient
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Challenge• Floodingisthemostcommonand
widespreadnaturalsourceofdamagetopropertiesintheUK.
• Therewillalwaysbesomepropertiesthatareparticularlydifficultoruneconomictoprotectwithlargedefences.PropertyLevelResilience(PLR)hasavaluableroletoplayinmanagingtheirfloodrisk.
• PLRcanstopwaterenteringapropertyorsignificantlyreducethetimeoutofyourhomeorbusinesswhenitdoes.Takingpositivestepsalsoreducesthestressoffeelingvulnerable.
• Thetypicalrangeofmeasureshaveacost-benefitratioinexcessof£5forevery£1investedintermsofreduceddamages.
• However,thereisstillrelativelylowuptakeinEngland–peopleathighfloodriskaren’troutinelyinstallingresiliencemeasuresintheirhomesandbusinesses.
What do we mean by Property Level Resilience? PropertyLevelResilience(PLR)aimstomake people and their property less vulnerable to the physical and mental impacts of flooding.
Actionsthatcanbetakenincludeinstallingflooddoors,floodbarriers,airbrickcovers,pointingorwaterproofingbrickwork,installingnon-returnvalves,andmovingvulnerablefeaturessuchassocketsabovefloorlevel.
Propertiesneedapackageofmeasures,someofwhichpreventwaterenteringahouseandothersthatminimisetheimpactshouldwaterenterthehouse,speedinguptherecoveryprocess.
Sometimesthewatershouldbeletin.Forfloodsover60cmdepth,orofprolongedduration,attemptingtokeepthewateroutcancauseseriousstructuraldamage,owingtotheunequalwaterpressureseithersideofthewalls.
Reasons for the lack of uptake vary. Property owners may:• notknowtheyareatriskbecausethe
propertyhasnotfloodedrecently
• notaccepttheyareatriskbecausetheyhavenotpersonallyexperiencedafloodevent
• considerafloodeventtheyhavejustexperiencedasa‘oneoff’
• taketheviewthat‘onlytheauthorities’canmanagefloodriskandthereisnothingtheycandoand/orshoulddo,toimprovetheirresilience.
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Flood Resilient Property East Peckham
CASESTUDY
1“It was the best flood I’ve ever had! Everything was working, we didn’t aim to make it perfectly dry...our aim was to keep the water to one or two inches...It’s all about slowing the water...it gives us time to get the bricks, move the furniture, move the car.”Sue Chalkley, East Peckham - BBC News February 2014
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The village of East Peckham was flooded twice in two days over Christmas 2013. Inoneproperty,fittedwithfloodgatesandfloodboardstheingressofwaterwasslowedenoughtoallowfurnituretoberaisedonbricksbeforeitgotintothehouse.
Waterthatenteredthehousewassweptintoasubmersiblepumpinthelivingroom.
Agullyinsidethehousetookwaterfromadrainnearthefrontdoorstraighttothepump,andfromthereitwaspumpedoutside.
Suesaid‘Ononeoccasionwewereintempaccommodationforninemonthsandonanotheroccasionwelivedonthefirstfloorandintheloftforninemonths.In2013wehadmajordisruptionforonedaybutthenextday,Christmasday,wehadChristmasdinnerasusualandmadenoinsuranceclaim.Weinformedtheinsurancecompanyandtheymonitoredthedryingoutprocess–butwemadenoclaim.Therewasonlydecorationdamagewhichwedealtwith’.
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TheRoundtablewasestablishedbyMinisterRoryStewarttotacklethelowuptakeofmeasuresthatcanmakeapropertymoreresilienttoflooding.Hechallengedbusinessestobringtheiruniqueskillsandexperiencetothetabletohelpbringaboutchange.
PeterBonfield,CEOofBRE(formallytheBuildingResearchEstablishment),wasaskedtochairtheRoundtable.Heinvitedarangeofexpertstojoinhimwhowerewellplacedtousetheirskillsandexperiencetoinnovateandfindwaystoincentivisetheuptakeofpropertyfloodresiliencebyconsumers.TheRoundtablewassupportedbyofficialsfromtheDepartmentforEnvironment,FoodandRuralAffairs(Defra)whoprovidedthesecretariatandtheEnvironmentAgency.
TheRoundtablewastaskedwithconsideringspecificbarriersidentifiedasbeingkeytopreventingtheuptakeofresiliencemeasuresandtofindsolutionstoaddressthem.Memberstookaproactiveandcollaborativeapproach.VolunteersledandestablishedfivecomplimentaryTaskGroupsthatfocusedonthoseareasthattheRoundtablefelthadmostscopetobringaboutrealchange.Their
objectiveswereto:
• IncreaseuptakeofthepropertylevelresiliencegrantfollowingStormsDesmondandEva,andtolearnfromthisexperience;
• Betterembedresilienceintheinsurancebusinessandinday-to-dayforSmallandMediumEnterprises(SMEs)atfloodrisk;
• Improvethesharingofinformationonresiliencemeasures,specificallythroughdevelopingaone-stopshopwebportal;
• Developtheskillsandstandardsnecessarytodeliverpropertylevelresilientmeasurestoaconsistentlyhighandwellunderstoodstandard;
• Addressthecommunicationsandbehaviouralchallengesthathamperuptakeofpropertylevelresiliencemeasures.
TheTaskGroupsdevelopedactionplansandrecommendationsfortheRoundtable,makinguseofwiderexpertise.ThesehaveformedthebasesfortheTaskGroupreportsandtheendofthisdocument.
Approach
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“If the building floods now we can forklift stuff onto the mezzanine level”Peter
Retail business flooded in 2007ThiscasestudywasdevelopedbytheSesameResearchProjecthttp://floodresilientbusiness.co.uk
CASESTUDY
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A new mezzanine level and the strengthened and raised floor.
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“Icouldn’tbelievewhatwashappening.We’dhadbitsofwatercomeinbefore,butitwouldbeveryshallowandjustlappingatthecarpark.Whenthe2007floodscameitwasacompletelydifferentstory.Itwashorrendousgoinginandseeingthedevastation–andIfeltallonmyownwithit.
Butwhenthebuildingwasbeingre-madeweputalltheelectricshighupinthewallsandallmachineswerere-donewithoverheadpowersothesocketswouldn’tgetflooded. Also,ifthebuildingfloodsnowwecanforkliftstuffontothemezzaninelevel(whichwealsoputinwhenwerefurbished).Wealsoraisedthefloorlevelandstrengthenedthefloor.
Wehaven’tusedfloodbarriersasIfeelthatinourlocationtheywouldn’tworkaswearesoclosetothebrookandriver,butwehavemadethesechangestothebuildingandthathasworkedoutreallywell.
Wehavebeenfloodedsince:oneatChristmasandoneattheendofJanuary.TheChristmasonecameintothebuilding5-6inchesabovethefloorbutwe’dtakentheprecautionofputtingpalletsunderthemachinery.Itwasgoodthatwehadchangedthepremisesincertainwaysinthe6monthswewereclosed.”
Mess from the flood in 2007
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The task groupsTask group 1 - Immediate action
• Thegroupconsideredbarrierstoaccessingfundingfortheinstallationofresiliencemeasures
• Establishedapilotadvisoryserviceforfloodvictimsandlocalauthorities
• Lookedtoidentifysolutionsandconsideredtheneedfortechnicalassistance
Task group 2 - Embedding resilience
• Thegroupconsideredbarrierstotheprovisionofresiliencemeasuresviainsurersandothers
• LookedathowtoencourageSMEstobuildresilienceintotheirbusinessandmarketingplans
• Consideredtheimpactofmeasuresoninsurancepremiums
Task group 3 - One stop shop
• Thegroupconsideredhowthesharingofinformationonresiliencemeasurescanbeimproved
• LookedatinformationforprivatehouseholdsandSMEsandtheprovisionofinformationtobusiness
• Developedanindependentwebsitetodistilinformation
Task group 4 - Standards, certification and skills
• Thegroupconsideredthelackofconsistentstandards
• Coveredstandardsforproductsandcertificationrelatedtoproperty(newbuild,existingpropertyandmaterials)
• Lookedatskillneedsinprofessionals(suchassurveyors,contractorsandbuilders)
Task group 5 - Communications and behaviour change
• Thegroupconsideredtheroleofcommunicationsindrivingbehaviourchange
• Lookedathowtoengageandempowerindividuals/communitiestomaketheirpropertiesmoreresilient
• Builtonexperienceoftheresilientgrandfromthiswinter
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Flood resilient kitchenFloodresilientkitchen:gooddesigncancreateattractivekitchensandincorporatefloodresilientfeatures.Thesecanincluderaisingappliancesabovelikelyfloodlevels,useofappropriatematerialsforcabinetsandresilientfloortiles.
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Actions & recommendationsWe have made recommendations on what needs to happen to see a step-change in uptake of property level resilience measures. We are also committed to delivering a number of actions to address these challenges.
The recommendations summarised on the right have been informed by the Task Group’s reports, which are set out in more detail in the next section.
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Strengthening understanding of what measures are best to adoptRecommendations: Moreneedstobedonetoaddressthesignificantconfusionthatremainsaboutwhatpropertylevelresilienceactuallyis.Weneedgreaterclarityonwhichmeasuresaremosteffective,recognisingthateverypropertyisdifferent.
Thosepromotingtheapproachneedtobeclearwhothetargetaudiencesareanddesignsimplemessagestoreachthem.Theymustconsiderthe‘PLRcustomerjourney’andthechannels/touchpointsthroughwhichwecanreachthem.
Actions• Developingandpromotinganindependentweb-portalthatprovides
aone-stopshopforinformationonpropertylevelresilience.Aimedatarangeofaudiences,includinghouseholders,communities,smallbusinessesaswellasthosebusinessesandlocalauthoritiesthathavearoleindeliveringfloodresiliencemeasures.Toincludesimpleinfographicsthatinformpeopleofthebenefitsofinstallingresiliencemeasuresandstep-by-stepguidanceonpropertylevelresiliencemeasures(TaskGroupThree).
• Establishingagroupofindustryandappropriateinterestedpartiestodeterminearoute-mapforasetoffloodresiliencestandardsforbuildingmaterials,servicesandproductsthatareusedasstandard(TaskGroupFour).
• Developinganapproachtocertificationofbuildingmaterials,componentsandproducts(TaskGroupFour).
• ExploringtheroleofresilientrepairinbuildingregulationsinEngland(TaskGroupFour).
• BuildingbetterPLRmessagingintothenationalfloodriskcampaigninNovember2016(TaskGroupFive).
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Improving the skill sets of those involved in making properties more resilientRecommendation: Weneedappropriatetrainingprogrammesforthosewhohavearoleinpromotinganddeliveringresilientrepair.Surveyorsrequireparticularattention,alongwithinstallersofresilientmeasures.
Actions• Researchingthepotentialforcertificationofresilientrepair
techniques(TaskGroupFour).
• Betterunderstandingofcommonprinciplesoffloodresilienceforinstallersoffloodresistanceandresiliencemeasurestoensureconsistencyofapproachandapplicationofstandards(TaskGroupFour).
• Creationofacertificationschemeforfloodsurveyorslinkedtocontinuingprofessionaldevelopmenttrainingforrelevantspecialists(TaskGroupFour).
Normalising property level protection in the commercial worldRecommendation: Thereisaneedforgreaterawarenessacrossthecommercialsector–bothforthosewhowoulddirectlybenefitfrominstallingPLRmeasures(e.g.businessowners,landlords)andthosewhodriveconsumerinterest(lenders,insurersandlossadjusters).Evidencewillbekeytoacceptance.
Actions• Establishingaworkingpartyofinsurersandbrokerstoexplorethe
roletheseparticularindustriescanhaveinactingasacatalysttopromoteengagementbytheircustomers(whetherownersortenantsofcommercialorresidentialproperty)onfloodriskawarenessandpreparedness(TaskGroupTwo).
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• Developinga‘healthcheck’forsmallbusinesseswhichwillassesswhetheradequateinsurancecoverisinplace,promotebenefitsoffloodresilientmeasuresanddeterminetheoverallcostbenefittothebusiness(TaskGroupTwo).
• Developingagroupofcasestudiestodemonstratethebenefitsoffloodresilienceforsmallbusinesses,ensuringrelevanceforhouseholders(TaskGroupTwo).
• Workingwithlenders(banksandmortgageproviders)toincreasetheirunderstandingofthebenefitstothemselvesandtheirroleasacatalyst(TaskGroupTwo).
Action following a flood eventRecommendation: WeshouldalllearnlessonsfromthisandpreviousoccasionswherePLRhasbeenusedwithoutcapacitybuildingimmediatelyfollowingafloodevent.TheTaskGroupwillbefeedinginthelessonsitislearningfromthepilotsitisrunninginthreelocalauthorityareasintotheGovernment’sownreviewoffloodrecoveryschemesusedlastwinter.
Actions • Providinganadvisoryservicetosupporthouseholdsandlocal
authoritiestoeffectivelyusethe£5,000resiliencegrantarisingfromStormsDesmondandEva.AtrailerandadvisorswerelocatedatKendal,CockermouthandLancaster(TaskGroupOne).
• WorkingalongsidetheEnvironmentAgencytoprepareforfuturefloodevents(TaskGroupFive).
• FeedingintotheGovernment’sreviewoflastwinter’sfloodrecoveryschemestoshareexperienceofworkingwithlocalauthoritiestohelpfloodvictimsmaketheirpropertiesmoreresilient(TaskGroupOne).
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Next stepsThoseinvolvedintheRoundtablehavecommittedtocontinuingtotakeforwardworktoimprovetheuptakeofresiliencemeasures.
• TheTaskGroupswillnowlooktodelivertheactionstheyhavecommittedtointhisreport.
• MembersoftheRoundtablewillactivelypromotetherecommendationsofthisreportandsharelearningwithotheractors/sectorswithaninterestinimprovingtheuptakeoffloodresilience.
• TheRoundtablewillgathertowardstheendof2016toreportonprogressandconsiderhowelsetheymighthelptoaddressthechallengesidentified.
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Task group reports
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Action to assist flood victims
TASK GROUP
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ContextBusinessintheCommunity’sBusinessEmergencyResilienceGroup(BERG)setouttopilotanadvisoryserviceinthreeofthe48localauthorityareasaffectedbywinterflooding.Theinterventionwasledbyoneoftheirmembercompanies,AdlerandAllan.ThefirstpilotwassetupinKendal,Cumbria,withafurthertwoadvisoryservices(ledbybusinessbutinassociationwithlocalgovernmentandthenot-for-profitsector)inCockermouthandLancaster.BERGmadearrangementswitheachlocalauthoritytooperateintheirarea. Thepilotservicesareliaisingwitheachlocalauthority,tohelpidentifyandremoveobstaclesandraiseawarenessandincreaseapplicationsforthePropertyLevelResilienceGrants.Inaddition,thepilotwilllooktotestwhetherlinkingwith
insurers,contractorsandotherswouldimprovetheuptakeofresiliencemeasures. Thepilotofferssurveyservicestoresidents,inadditiontothoseavailablefromthelocalauthorityand/orlocalsurveyors. Attheendofthepilot,BERGwillcreatealessonslearnedreportbasedonourexperiencestoassisttheworkoftheGovernmentreviewandwithotherlocalauthoritiesaffectedbythewinterstorms. BERGsetupthepilotsinKendal,CockermouthandLancasterwiththeaimto:
• Improvedeliveryoptionsofpropertylevelresiliencegrants.
• Identifycosteffectivewaystodelivertheinstallationofresiliencemeasuresandtoidentifyandremovepossiblebarriers.
Group members and contributorsGraham Brogden HeadofTechnicalPropertyClaims,AvivaMark Calvert ChiefExecutive,Adler&AllanMike Still BusinessEmergencyResilienceGroupandMarshJoseph Tabone BusinessEmergencyResilienceGroup(BERG),BusinessintheCommunity(BITC)
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Group Leads: Mark Calvert(ChiefExecutive,Adler&Allan)andJoseph Tabone(BusinessEmergencyResilienceGroup(BERG),BusinessintheCommunity(BITC)
• Identifypracticalassistanceandtechnicaladvicetosupplementlocalexpertiseinareasaffectedbythefloods.
• Deliveradvicedirectlytotheaffectedcommunitiesincollaborationwithlocalbusinessesandthelocalauthority.
• Promotetheschemeandincreaseuptakeofthegrant.
PLRreducesthelevelofdamagefromfloodingratherthanthelikelihoodthattherewillbefloodevents.Managingpublicexpectationsaboutthebenefitsofwhattheyinstallandtherequirementsthatitplacesonthem,isanimportantwhenanyactivitytopromotetheuptakeofsuchmeasuresisundertaken.
RecommendationsTheschemesineachlocalauthorityareaarestillopenwhichmakesittooearlytodrawfirmconclusionsontheimpactoftheactionswehavetakentoimprovethegrantapplicationprocess.Theultimateaimofthepilotis,however,toimprovethenumberoffloodaffectedpropertiesthatreceiveresilient/resistantrepairssothatthefuturefloodriskisreducedandrecoverytimesdecreased.
Action PlanTheTaskGroupunderstandstheGovernmentiscarryingoutitsownreviewoffloodrecoveryschemesusedlastwinter.Itwillthereforelooktofeedinfindingsfromthepilot.ThefindingswillalsocontributetothewiderbodyofevidencearoundPLRanddeliveryofschemesbyriskmanagementauthoritiesthroughothergrantschemesstructures.
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Context Forbusinessesfloodingnotonlyaffectsthebuildingbutitcanaffectitsabilitytotrade,andthewidercommunity.Smallbusinessesareparticularlyvulnerableandmakeupasignificantproportionofthecountry’sbusinesses.Mostbusinessesrecognisethepotentialdamagethatsevereweathercando,atleastintheory.However,itisclearthatmanydonotfeelempoweredormotivatedtocarryoutsignificantinvestmentinthisarea:oftenduetofinancialorpracticalconstraints,lackoftrustedinformationandservicesoreventhroughoverconfidenceintheirabilitytomanageafloodevent. Thecommercialworldcanplayavaluableroleinhelpingtoimprovesmallbusinesses’resiliencetoflooding,throughtheinsurance,lossadjusting,propertyandfinancialindustries.Thereisaneed
tobetterrecogniseandrewardtheincreasedresilienceandreductioninrisk,thuscreatinggreaterawarenessandamarketforpropertylevelresilience.
Manyofthebenefitswouldapplytothehouseholdmarkettoo,whichwouldcomplementtheeffortsofFloodRetohelphouseholdersathighrisktransitiontorisk-reflectivepricesby2039.
InMay2016,theBritishInsuranceBrokers’Association(BIBA)undertookasurveyofitsmemberstounderstandmoreoftheroleoffloodresilience,resistanceandproperty-levelprotectionforsmallbusinessesinFloodRiskareas.Thissoughttoevaluateitscurrenteffectonpremiums,deductibles(suchasexcesses),andtheavailabilityofcover.Thesurvey(seeAnnexOne)hasidentifiedbrokerinterestinfloodresilience.Thiswillinformhowwetakeforwardworkwithactorsinthissector.
Embedding resilience in small businesses
TASK GROUP
2Group members and contributors: Andrew Creedon FloodReJonathan Davison BritishDamageManagement Association Ian Gibbs CunninghamLindseyMark Halliday SharkeyGroupSue Highmore ThomsonReutersLegalDavid Hughes AXAInsuranceAndy Poole FederationofSmall Businesses(FSB)
Paul Redington ZurichInsuranceTim Smith FloodReJoey Tabone BusinessEmergency Resilience Group(BERG),Businessinthe Community(BITC)Graeme Trudgill BritishInsuranceBroker Association(BIBA) Andrew Walkley QBE
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Group Lead: Graham Brogden (Aviva)
RecommendationsTheTaskGrouplookedatwaysinwhichtoreachouttoallbusinessestoraiseawarenessofwhatresilienceisandtodemonstratethebenefitandimportanceoftakingsuchmeasures.Itconcludedthatthereisaneedto:
• Explorenewopportunitiestoraiseawarenessamongstbrokersinthecommercialsector
• Provideevidencedirectlytobusinessesaboutthebenefitsofmakingtheirpropertyresilienttoflooding
• Workacrosstheinsuranceindustrytounderstandandencouragethedevelopmentofproductsandsolutionsthatsupportbusinessesatriskofflooding
• Engagekeysmallbusinesses(forexample,landlordsandbusinessowners)whohavedifferentobjectivesandperspectivesonthisissueaboutthevalueandbenefitsofresiliencemeasurestothem.
Action PlanRaisingawareness,particularlyacrossthesmallbusinessspacewilltaketimeandthequestionsthatitwillpromptfrombusinessownerswillneedtobeaddressed,includingthoseaffectingtheinsuranceindustry.Thegrouphascommittedto:
• Establish a working partyofinsurersandbrokerstoexplorehowunderwritersandbrokersareassessingtheimpactofdifferenttypesoffloodresiliencemeasuresonSMEs.Itwillconsiderhowthismightinfluencethedecisionsthatsmallbusinessestaketoinvestincertainareas;thedirectfinancialbenefitsofsuchmeasures;howtoimproveinsuranceunderwriters’andbrokers’understandingofthereducedriskexposure;andtoimprovetheavailabilityofacompetitivequotesthatincentivisesmallbusinessestotakeaction.
• Expertise and Purchase power:compilea‘healthcheck’forsmallbusinesses.Thiswillcheckwhetheradequateinsurancecoverisinplace,assessbenefitsofflood
resilientmeasuresanddeterminetheoverallcostbenefittothebusiness.WewillthenexploreifinsurerscouldusetheirpurchasingpowertoleveragedealsonappropriatefloodresilientproductsforSMEs.
• Building trust: developcasestudiestodemonstratethebenefitsoffloodresiliencemeasures,takingaccountofthedemographicofthesmallbusinessmarkettoensurethattheexamplesarerelevant.
• Property ownership:workwithlenderstoincreasetheirunderstandingofthebenefitstothemselvesandtheirroleasacatalysttoencouragetheuptakeofresiliencemeasuresandpromoteengagementbytheirborrowers(whetherownersortenantsofcommercialorresidentialproperty)onfloodriskawarenessandpreparedness.Inthesecircumstances,lenderscouldintegratethecostofestablishingtheleveloffloodriskintotheircharges.
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One stop shop
TASK GROUP
3
Context ThesitewasconceivedasanactionbytheRoundtablewiththemainaimtocreatea“onestopshop”websiteprovidingfloodguidance,suitableforanyaudiencewhomayhavebeenaffectedbyrecentfloodeventsandadviceforpreparationmeasuresinthefuture.
Thisportalwillprovidestep-by-stepguidanceofwhattodointheeventofafloodandinformationofwhotocontactfollowingafloodtoensuredamagedoesnothappeninthefuture.Thecontentforthesitewillneedtoberegularlyupdatedandincorporateadditionalappropriateguidanceinformationandadviceasitbecomesavailable.
Withtheappropriatepromotionthroughalternativewebsites,searchengineoptimisation,andthrough
theuseofsocialmedia,theCentreforResilienceFloodGuidancePortalcandeliverappropriateassistancetoalltargetaudiencesacrosstheUnitedKingdom.
Themainaimsofthewebsiteare:
• Tomakepropertyownersawareoftherisksofflooding,howtoassesswhetherapropertyisatriskandtheprocedurestofollowifafloodeventoccurs.
• Toprovideanaccessportalofindependentadviceofwhotocontactregardingdamagerepairoftheproperty.
• Toincorporateinformationonthebeststrategytopreventsimilarfloodingeventsfromoccurringinthefuture.
Group members and contributors: Matt Barker BREMartin Friel AXAInsuranceStephen Garvin BRESue Highmore ThomsonReutersAndrew Poole FederationofSmallBusinessesSophie Timms ZurichInsuranceSam Turner BRE
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Group Leads: Sam Turner and Matthew Barker (BRE)
Recommendations • Developproceduresandgovernance
structurestoensuretheimpartialityofthewebsite.
• Formindependentchairgrouptotakeresponsibilityforreviewanddevelopmentoftheportal.
• Developfastandsimpledisseminationfromwebsitehomepagefordifferenttargetaudiencesaswellasforthosethathavebeenfloodedandthoseatriskofflooding.
Action Plan• Improvenavigationroutesforwebsiteusers.
• Involveagreaterrangeofindependentcompaniestoprovidealargerpoolofbackgroundknowledge.
• Targetmultipleaudiencesusingspecificinformationforpropertyownersthat:
• havepreviouslybeenflooded • arelookingtoprotecttheirproperty againstfuturefloodevents.
• Generatesimpleinfographicsthatguidethereaderwhattodointhecaseofafloodevent.
• Createguidancewebpagesgivingdetailedstep-by-stepguidanceonwhattodobefore,duringandafteraflood;andpropertylevelresiliencemeasures.Incorporationofvideolinksandinfographicswithcasestudyinformation.
• Ensuresuccessfulpromotionofwebsitethroughsearchengineoptimisation,sositebecomesoneoffirstlinkstobeaccessed.
• Developstrategytomoderatethecontent
fromadditionalsourcesaimingtocontributetothewebsite.
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Standards, certifications and skills
TASK GROUP
4
Context Appropriatestandards,certificationschemesandskillsareneededinthepropertyresilienceindustrytoprovidereassurancethatworkhasbeendonecorrectlyandtohighstandards.ThecolourcodedtableatAnnexTwoshowscurrentdevelopmentneedsforallthreeareas.
Recommendations• Developappropriatetrainingprogrammesfor
surveyorsandinstallersoffloodresistanceandresilienceinproperty.
• Developtrainingforinsurersandlossadjustersonresilientrepair,technologiesandworkingwithclientstoachieveappropriatesolutions.
• Developtheapproachtocertificationofbuildingmaterials,componentsandproducts.
Group members and contributors: Kevin Blunden CABEPeter Caplehorn ConcreteProductsAssociationAlan Cripps RoyalInstituteofChartered SurveyorsDamian Cross AVIVANeil Curling HBOS/HalifaxRob Dakin AXA Martyn Foulds HBOS/HalifaxStephen Garvin BREPeter Kershaw Zurich
Chris Longley FederationofSmall BusinessesIan Marsh SagaMark Shepherd AssociationofBritishInsurersJoey Tabone BusinessEmergency ResilienceGroup(BERG), BusinessintheCommunity (BITC)Elaine Toogood ConcreteCentreGraeme Trudgill BritishInsuranceBroker Association(BIBA)Oliver Wright Zurich
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Group Lead: Stephen Garvin (BRE)
• Promoteuseofexistingstandards,inparticular,ensuringthatPAS1188productsarereferencedinprocurementdocumentsandthatBS85500isadoptedbyhousebuildersandcommercialbuildersinareasatriskofflooding.
Action PlanWewillidentifyachampiontoleadontakingforwardeachareaofrecommendations.Inparticular:
On training• Createaroute-maptothecreationofa
certificationschemeforfloodsurveyorslinkedtostandardsandappropriatecontinuingprofessionaldevelopmenttrainingforrelevantspecialists.
• TheschemeshouldbebaseduponworkcarriedoutforDefra;“SurveyingforFloodResilienceattheLevelofanIndividualProperty”(FD2681ontheRanddresearchwebsite)andinformedbyreviewoforganisationssuchasNAPIT,GasSafetyand
FENSA-whoapproveelementsofBuildingRegulations.
• Bringtogetherinitiatives(e.g.thenewBSiKitemarkschemeforinstallationofmeasuresmeetingPAS1188)forinstallersoffloodresistanceandresiliencemeasurestoensureconsistencyofapproachandapplicationofstandards.
On certification • Establishagroupofindustryandappropriate
stakeholderstodeterminearoute-mapforasetoffloodresiliencestandards(orstandardsapproach)forbuildingmaterialsandproducts.Thisshouldconsiderwhetheraspecificstandardandcertifiedapproachforassessmentofalltypesofproductsispossible,orcertificationshouldbeincorporatedappropriatelyincurrentproductstandardsandcertification.
• Researchthepotentialforcertificationofresilientrepairtechniques.Forpostfloodinsurancerelatedrepairs,developaprotocolforgreatercooperationbetween‘localauthoritybuildingcontrol’andinsurance
companiesonpostfloodrepairs.Developaprotocoltosimplifytheapprovaloffloodresilientmeasuresinproperty.
On building regulations• ExplorewhetherBuildingRegulationcan
beusedtoencouragefloodresistantandresilientconstructioninawaythatistailoredtomeettheneedsofpropertiesinareasatriskofflooding;withafocusonmethodsthatspeedtheirrecovery.
• Floodresilientmaterialsandproductstobesupportedbyafitnessforpurposeassessmentthatestablishestheirvalueinmakingpropertymoreresilient.
• ReviewthecurrentapproachtoRadonStandards,toestablishiftherearelessonsthatcouldbeappliedtothisareaofwork.
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Communication and behaviour change
TASK GROUP
5
Context Ourfocuswasontheenablersthatencouragepeopletotakeuppropertylevelresilienceandthenextstepsintermsofcommunicationandbehaviourchangethatwouldimprovetheuptakeofpropertylevelresilience.
Therangeofissuesthatemergedinclude
• Recovery–thereisadisconnectbetweeninsurancereinstatementandresilientrepairofproperty:lossadjustorsandbuildersdonotunderstandthebenefitsofresilientmeasures.Inaddition,itisunlikelythat,immediately
afterafloodevent,peopleareinapositiontothinkabouttheinstallationofsuchmeasures–peoplewanttobebackinthepropertieswiththeminimumdisruption/difficulty.
• Insurancebuy-in–itisnotclearthattheinsuranceindustryvaluepropertylevelresilienceorincentivisingpeopletohaveit.Itseffectivenessisalsoquestionedbyfloodvictimsandthebuilding/insuranceindustry.
• Communityunderstanding–fundingschemesarehardertodevelopinlesscohesivecommunities.Iffloodresiliencewasa‘socialnorm’itismorelikelytobewidelyadopted.‘Doesmyneighbourhaveit?’
Group members and contributors: Alison Baptiste EnvironmentAgencyKevin Barnes EnvironmentAgencyMark Calvert AdlerandAllanPaul Cobbing NationalFloodForumJacqui Cotton EnvironmentAgencyStephen Garvin BRE
Emma Howard-Boyd EnvironmentAgencyAbi Howells EnvironmentAgencyTony Johnson DCLGAmanda Mackenzie AvivaJane Meek CarlisleCityCouncilCraig Woolhouse EnvironmentAgency
31
Group Lead: Emma Howard-Boyd (EnvironmentAgency)
Recommendations• Thosepromotingtheapproachneedto
beclearwhothetargetaudiencesareanddesignsimplemessagesthatlinkclearlytodesiredaction.
• Weneedtobetterunderstandthe‘PLRcustomerjourney’andthechannels/touchpointsatwhichwecanreachourtargetaudiences.
• Weshoulduseamixofmicroandmassmarketingtoreachandengage.
• Thereisaneedtoconsidertiming–whenisthebesttimetoapproachacommunityorindividualtodiscussPLRoptions?
Action PlanThesearecurrentlybeingdevelopedintoamoredetailedactionplanbytheEnvironmentAgency:
• BuildbetterPLRmessagingintothenationalfloodriskcampaigninNovember2016.Draftsimplekeymessagesandcallstoactionbylearningfromothersuccessfulcampaignslike‘lovefood,hatewaste’,theUN’sGlobalGoalsandtheBusinessEmergencyResilienceGroup’s’10minuteplan’.
• TheNationalFloodForumandtheBusinessEmergencyResilienceGroupshouldprepareaguidancenotetohelpEnvironmentAgencystaffworkmoreeffectivelywithvoluntarygroupsandmakebetteruseoftheircapabilities.
• TheEnvironmentAgencywillalsoworkwiththeRoundtableinitsplanned‘winterready’exercise.
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Roundtable contributors
33
ABI MarkShepherd LauraHughes
Adler and Allan MarkCalvert
Aviva GrahamBrogden AmandaMackenzie DamianCross
AXA RobDakin DavidHughes MartinFriel
Business Emergency JoeyTaboneResilience Group (BERG)
British Insurance Brokers GraemeTrudgillAssociation (BIBA)
British Damage Management JonathanDavisonAssociation (BDMA)
BRE/Centre for Resilience StevenGarvin MattBarker SamTurner PeterBonfield JeremyWatson
Carlisle City Council JaneMeek
Chartered Association of Building JohnHooperEngineers KevinBlunden
Construction Products Association PeterCaplehorn
Coop JonathanGuy
Cunningham Lindsey RoyShevlin IanGibbs
DCLG SallyHaslam PaulPhilpott TonyJohnson NickPrice
DEFRA RobbieCraig AnnaSargeant MatthewWhittles
Environment Agency EmmaHoward-Boyd AlisonBaptiste CraigWoolhouse CarolineDouglas AbigailHowells CathBrooks KevinBarnes JacquiCotton
34
Federation of Small AndrewPoole Businesses AllanCreedy ChrisLongley Flood Re BrendanMcCafferty TimSmith AndrewCreedon
HBOS/Halifax MartynFoulds NeilCurling Law Society DianeLatter Marsh Insurance MikeStill MPA - The Concrete Centre & ElaineToogoodBritish Precast AndrewMinson National Association of MarkHaywardEstate Agents National Flood Forum PaulCobbing
National Housing Federation RachelFisher Nationwide Building Society ChrisBose Practical Law SueHighmoreQBE AndrewWalkley TimHayward Royal Institute of AlanCripps Chartered Surveyors
SAGA IanMarsh Sharkey Group MarkHalliday Zurich Insurance Company Ltd PeterKershaw PaulRedington OliverWright DavidNash SophieTimms JohnParvin
About BIBATheBritishInsuranceBrokers’Association(BIBA)istheUK’sleadinggeneralinsuranceintermediaryorganisationrepresentingtheinterestsofinsurancebrokers,intermediariesandtheircustomers.
BIBAmembershipincludesnearly2,000regulatedfirms,whoemploymorethan100,000staff.Generalinsurancebrokerscontribute1%ofGDPtotheUKeconomy,theyarrange54%ofallgeneralinsuranceand78%ofallcommercialinsurancebusiness.
The researchOn17May2016,theBritishInsuranceBrokers’Association(BIBA)undertookasurveyofitsmemberstounderstandmoreoftheroleoffloodresilience,resistanceandproperty-levelprotectionforsmallbusinessesinFloodRiskareas.Thissoughttoevaluateitscurrenteffectonpremiums,deductibles,suchasexcess,andtheavailabilityofcover.IttargetedthosebrokerswhohadengagedpreviouslywithBIBAonfloodinsurance-relatedissues.
Intotal,90firmsrespondedtothesurveygivingtheirviewsviaacombinationofmultiplechoiceaswellasfree-textanswers.
Communication with small business clientsTheresultsshowedthatwherebrokerscommunicatewithsmallbusinessclientsaboutfloodresilience,themostcommonwayofdoingthiswasviaface-to-faceconversations(51%).Thenextmostpopularmethodwasviatelephone.Theresultsfordifferentformsofwrittencommunications(email/website/newsletter)werenegligible[Figure1].
Intermsofthetimingoftheseconversations,theyweremostlikelytooccuratrenewal(54%)oratthenewbusinessstage(21%)[Figure2].
Annex 1: How flood resilience measures are viewedin the insurance market
35
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
BrokerWebsite
Face-to-facewith SME
Telephone
Speaking at acustomer event
Dedicated document
Broker to customer
Nocommunication
Other (pleasespecify)
Figure 1: What is the most common method of communication with your SME clients about flood resilience?
At new business
At renewal
At the time of a claim
Mid-term
We don’t communicate
Other (pleasespecify)
Figure 2: How would you most likely communicate with your customer about flood resilience/assistance?
36
Effectiveness of resilience/resistance measureWeaskedinsurancebrokerstorankhoweffectivedifferentresistance/resiliencemeasureswereinhelpinganinsurertoprovideaquoteforarisktheymaynothavequotedforwithoutthemeasures.
SigninguptotheEnvironmentAgency’sfloodalertwasoverwhelminglyineffectivewith46%sayingitmadenoeffectwhatsoever.
Intermsofmeasuresthatwereseeninapositivelightbyunderwriters,internalimprovementstotheproperty(e.g.hardflooring,waterproofwalls,movingelectricstoahigherlevelonthewall)werethemosteffective,with45%ofrespondentsstatingtheywereeffectiveorveryeffectiveingainingaquote.
However,therewasanoticeablesplitbetweenbrokerswhosawthismeasuretobenotveryeffectiveversuseffective(34%versus36%)whichmaysuggestthatusingafloodspecialistbrokermaybethekeytounlockingthepotentialofinstallingtheseimprovements[Figure3].
Figure 3 No effect Not very Effective Very Extremely whatsoever effective effective effectiveSigninguptheenvironmentagencyfoodalerts 46.43% 29.76% 21.43% 2.38% 0.00%
Doorandwindowshields 16.87% 54.22% 25.30% 3.61% 0.00%
Non-returnsewervalves 16.87% 42.17% 36.14% 4.82% 0.00%
Airbrickcovers 19.28% 48.19% 25.30% 7.23% 0.00%
Internalimprovementstotheproperty(e.g.hard 5.85% 34.15% 36.59% 8.54% 4.88%flooring,waterproofwalls,movingelectricstoahigherlevelonthewall)
37
Thevastmajorityofrespondentsstatedthatinsurersdonotrecogniseanystandardsforresiliencemeasures(95%)[Figure4].Thosethatdidrespondwithapositiveanswertothisquestionreportedthattherequestwasonanad-hocbasisandthiswasnotacommonoccurrence.
Similarly,respondentsreportedthatinsurersveryrarelyaskforanycertificationoffirmswhoinstallsuchdefences(96%)[Figure5].
Figure 3 No effect Not very Effective Very Extremely whatsoever effective effective effectiveSigninguptheenvironmentagencyfoodalerts 46.43% 29.76% 21.43% 2.38% 0.00%
Doorandwindowshields 16.87% 54.22% 25.30% 3.61% 0.00%
Non-returnsewervalves 16.87% 42.17% 36.14% 4.82% 0.00%
Airbrickcovers 19.28% 48.19% 25.30% 7.23% 0.00%
Internalimprovementstotheproperty(e.g.hard 5.85% 34.15% 36.59% 8.54% 4.88%flooring,waterproofwalls,movingelectricstoahigherlevelonthewall)
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Yes
No
Figure 4: Do the insurers you use recognise any particular certification or standard for defences or resilience measures?
Figure 5: Do the insurers you use recognise any particular certification or standard for the firms installing defences or resilience measures?
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Yes
No
38
Funding for resilience measuresWeaskedbrokersiftheirsmallbusiness(SME)clientwasabletoaccessa£5,000grant(similartotherepairandrenewgrants)offeredfollowingrecentfloodingevents,tobeusedtoimplementeffectiveresilienceandresistancemeasuresbeforeanyflooding,wouldthisimprovethebroker’sabilitytoplacetheirrisk.67%ofbrokersreporteditwouldbeeitheralittleeasierormucheasiertoplacetherisk[Figure6].
Floodresiliencemeasureshavedevelopedrapidlyoverthelastfewyearsandanecdotalevidencesuggeststheindustryisbecomingincreasinglyinterestedinresiliencemeasures.Indeed,theforthcomingBIBASmallBusinessinsuranceschemeincludingfloodcover,whichisintheadvancedstagesofdevelopment,willrecognisewhereapprovedmeasureshavebeenputinplaceintermsofpricing.
It would be much easier
It would be a little easier
It would make nodifference
Figure 6: If your SME client were able to utilise a £5,000 Government grant to implement effective resilience and resistance measures before any flooding, would this improve your ability to place their risk?
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
39
EchoingtheresponsesshowninFigure3,themeasuresmostlikelytoresultinalowerpremiumwereinternalimprovementsthatwouldreducethesizeofloss,ratherthanpreventthefloodingepisodefromhappening(60%)[Figure7].Asrespondentscouldtickalloptionsthatapplied,nonreturnsewervalvesanddoorshieldswerealsoseentobesomewhateffectiveinachievingalowerpremium.Inthefree-textfieldsthecommentsalsoshowedthat,forsomebrokers,measuresmadenodifferenceandformanyothers,itmadethedifferencebetweenbeingabletosecurecoverornot–butmadenodifferencetothepremiumortermsoffered.Thisagainsuggeststhatthekeytoobtainingbettertermsistouseaspecialistfloodinsurancebroker.
Figure 7: Which resilience/resistance measures can achieve improved terms from an insurer, eg a lower flood excess? Tick all that apply.
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Signing up the environment
Door and window shields
Non return sewer valves
Air brick covers
Internalimprovements
Other (please specify)
40
Theprincipleofindemnityininsuranceistoputtheinsuredbackinthesamepositiontheywereinpriortotheloss.Whenitcomestoflooding,oftenamoreresilientrepairwouldbepreferableasthiswouldreducethesizeoflossiftherewasafurtherflood.Weaskedbrokersifthepanelofinsurerstheyusedwouldallowmoreresilientrepairifitwascostneutral.69%ofbrokersstatedtheirinsurerwouldallowthis,whilst31%saidtheirinsurerpanelwouldnotallowthis.
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Signing up the environment
Door and window shields
Non return sewer valves
Air brick covers
Internalimprovements
Other (please specify)
Figure 8: Which resilience/resistance measures can lead to a lower premium? Tick all that apply.
41
Nextweaskedifbrokers’insurerpanelswouldallowthecustomertopayforresilientrepairsifitturnedouttobemoreexpensivetorepairinthatway.
Farfewerbroker(48%)reportedthattheinsurertheyworkwithwouldbepreparedtoallowthistohappen[Figure10].
Finally,weaskedbrokersiftheyhadanyfurthercommentsonthetopicofresilience.Wereceived34responsesfree-texttothisquestion,manyofwhichindicatedthatthereisnotwide-spreadrecognitionofresiliencebyinsurers.
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Yes
No
Figure 9: Would you insurer panel allow resilient/resistant repair after a claim if it was cost neutral?
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Yes
No
Figure 10: Would the insurer allow the customer to pay for or towards resilient/resistant repairs if they were more expensive to repair in that way?
42
Appropriatestandards,certificationschemesandskillsareneededinthepropertyresilienceindustrytoprovidereassurancethatworkhasbeendonecorrectlyandtohighstandards.Thecolourcodedtablebelowshowscurrentdevelopmentneedsforallthreeareas.
• Red for full development needed;
• Amber for part development;
• Green for where the area has been developed already to substantial
extent, although some needs have been identified.
Area Standard Needs Comment
Risk BS8533 None Furthertrainingrequiredforprofessionals,particularlyassessment thoseinvolvedinplanningfloodresilientrepairschemes. BS8582 Furtherconsiderationoftheneededforprofessional guidanceandtrainingcoursesrequired.
Surveyors None Full Trainingcoursesaswellasstandardsandcertification needtobedeveloped.
Upto150,000UKpropertiesinfloodriskareasaresold eachyear.Trainingrelatedtoconveyancingsurveyorsin floodriskisrequired.
Installers PAS1188 Part TheBSischemeisnewtothemarket,itrequiresfurther understandingandacceptance;considerationoftherole ofnon-certifiableproductsisrequired.
Building None Full Materialsandproductsresiliencestandardsrequiredtomaterials/ complimentpropertystandards.products Fitnessforpurposeofmaterialsandproductsforflood resilienceneedstobefurtheraddressed.
RefertoBSi/CBcommitteeforconstructiontoconsider further.PASorsimilarstandardrequiredtogradethe floodresilienceofmaterialsandmeasuresinvolved.
Annex 2: Standards and certificates, development needs
43
Area Standard Needs Comment
Property BS85500 Part Greateruptakeofdesignandconstructioninnewbuildandrepairedrequired.designand Ademonstrationofwhatcanbedoneisrequired.construction (CIRIAC623 DCLG,2007)
Flood PAS1188 Part PAS/BSENdoesnotcoveralltypesofproducts;notallmanufacturersworktoresistance thesestandardsandprocurementdoesnotenforceuseofstandards.technology FMGlobal FlooddoorsneedtobecoveredbyCENTC33/BS538. BSEN13564
Flood None Full Thisalsolinkswiththeneedsforfloodresilienceinbuildingmaterials,however,training,standardsandresilience certificationaroundthewholerangeofresilienceproductsisneeded.technology Resilienceproducts:including‘smart’technologyrequiresstandardsandcertification.
Drying PAS64 None BritishDamageManagementAssociationaccreditsmembercompaniesforsuchwork.buildings Widerdisseminationanduseofthestandardrequired,ensureinsurerstakeonboard
Management BS12999 Part Standardinplace,butrequirementsforcertificationandtrainingstilltobeadvanced-recovery
Management CIRIAC624 Part Nationalstandards,trainingandcertificationrequired;contractorandspecifieralllacking.–installation 6steps offlood guidanceresilience
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