Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 35
35
Accepted
Property Flood Resilience remains inaccessible, deepening inequalities and leaving communities vulnerable.
Recommendation
Flood resilience is not only about individual protection but about sustaining communities, businesses, and housing markets. Property Flood Resilience (PFR) must be mainstreamed as a core part of flood recovery, rather than treated as an optional add-on. Without reform, PFR will remain inaccessible to those who need it most, deepening inequalities and 66 leaving households and businesses vulnerable to repeated disruption. The Government must act to make resilience mainstream, affordable, and fair. (Conclusion, Paragraph 118)
Government Response Summary
The government recognises the important role of Property Flood Resilience (PFR) and highlights the independent FloodReady review, which published 22 recommendations and 50 actions in October to mainstream PFR. The government states it is already taking these recommendations forward, with a leadership group reporting regularly on progress.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The government recognises the important role that property flood resilience can play alongside other types of flood defences to ensure more homes and businesses are resilient to flooding. The independent FloodReady review consulted a wide range of stakeholders about mainstreaming such approaches. The Environment Agency commissioned an independent review of property flood resilience in January to identify gaps and opportunities for market growth. To support this work, a leadership group was established comprising senior representatives from sectors needing to act together to help grow the market. These included representatives from finance, insurance, construction, government, housing, training bodies and research. Through webinars, workshops, meetings and surveys additional input was gathered from flood volunteers, flood affected residents, information providers, local authorities, researchers, professional institutions, government offices, and MPs. The final report, published in October, sets out 22 recommendations and approximately 50 supporting actions across six themes – from trusted products and services to regulatory reform, to research and innovation. The report provides a clear roadmap for boosting resilience and helping people recover faster from floods so that property flood resilience becomes as routine to property owners as insulation, fire safety, and home security. The report has been widely welcomed, and its recommendations are the result of extensive consultation. The government recognises its role in making property flood resilience a routine part of flood resilience and is already taking recommendations from the FloodReady review forward. The FloodReady Leadership Group, chaired by UK Finance, will report regularly to the Flood Resilience Taskforce to keep that group informed of the progress being made by the relevant industry stakeholders.