Do you think you are being ripped off by your home insurer? Have you
recently tried to get insurance for your home and either been declined
or asked to pay a high premium because you were told you live in a
flood risk area? If so I would like you to send me information about
your experience to add to a document I am preparing to take up with
the insurance industry. There have long been complaints that insurers
are over charging residents in Shepway and not taking into account the
large investment in flood defences along the coast when setting their
premiums. How many residents for example have seen their premiums fall
since the completion of the new £60million sea wall at Dymchurch? Not
many would be my guess. I have also received complaints in the past
that insurers looking at flood maps have treated drainage ditches and
canals on Romney Marsh as if they were rivers and streams; which are a
much greater flood risk. If you look on the Environment Agency’s map
of the area it does show that the low lying areas of Romney Marsh are
vulnerable to flooding, but this displays what the extent could be if
there were no sea defences, but of course there are significant
defences. I’m concerned that some people are being asked to pay too
much for their home insurance, and this needs to be put right. This
view is also shared by members of Shepway District Council.
Last week there were further concerning reports about the future of
flood insurance cover for homes in Shepway and in particular Romney
Marsh. The Association of British Insurers (ABI) which represents the
companies stated that if there isn’t a new agreement in place between
the industry and government when the current one expires in 2013, then
people who live in flood risk areas may not get the cover they need.
It is worth stating however that there are ongoing discussions between
the government and the insurers and it is planned that the details of
a new agreement will be published in the spring this year. The basis
of this agreement is that the insurers have confidence that the
government is committed to spending the money required to maintain
flood defences. I have though written to the ABI asking for a meeting
to discuss these issues.
The Government is spending over £2 billion on flood defence works over
the period from 2011 to 2015. Last summer we saw the completion of the
new £60million sea wall at Dymchurch which has been designed protect
the 2,500 homes in the immediate vicinity for the next 100 years.
There are ongoing works to maintain the shingle flood defences along
the coast from Folkestone to Dungeness, and I have also been working
alongside the local ‘Defend Our Coast’ group to ensure that the
government is aware of our future investment needs. I would like to
add my thanks to Terry Preston, Cllr Tony Hills, Brigitte Bass and
everyone involved with ‘Defend Our Coast’ for all their work on this
important issue. Flood defence is always an ongoing project.