Romney Marsh has traditionally been regarded as one of the more high risk flood areas in the country. In the past this had made it harder for people to get home insurance, although a number of local firms who have a good understanding of the risk levels have helped many residents to solve this problem.
There has been considerable investment in flood defences in our area, not least with the completion of the new sea wall at Dymchurch. This has had a big impact in reducing the flood risk but this information was not readily available for residents and the insurance industry. Earlier in the year I asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, Owen Paterson, if he could ensure that the most up to date information and flood risk mapping for the Romney Marsh area was publically available. This work has now been completed and has been published on the Environment Agency’s website. It shows that most of the Marsh, including Dymchurch, Lydd and New Romney is considered to be a low risk for flooding. If you are having problems getting insurance for your home you can look up the exact risk profile for where you live on the Agency website and check that your insurer is also using this latest information.