National Flood Forum
Old Snuff Mill Warehouse
Park Lane, Bewdley
Worcestershire DY12 2EL
Tel 01299 403055
www.floodforum.org.uk
More flooding to come – more action needed
The Committee on Climate Change’s 2015 Progress Report submitted to Parliament
today said, “The Committee’s evaluation of the UK National Adaptation Programme
concludes that more households will be at high risk of flooding, despite the increase in
spending on flood defence.”
Paul Cobbing, Chief Executive of the National Flood Forum welcomed the report,
saying, “Flooding is the single biggest risk to the UK and is likely to increase. 200,000
homes will still be at high risk of flooding in 50 years’ time, even if current levels of
investment continue. This is unacceptable.”
Flooding needs to become a priority for the whole of Government, not just Defra.
1. Current investment in maintaining flood defences is too low and is in danger of
putting people at risk
2. Flood Re, the new mechanism for flood risk in household insurance, must have
clear plans in place to support the reduction of flood risk
3. Houses are still being built in areas of flood risk
4. It is not yet clear that recently introduced Sustainable Urban Drainage systems
will deliver the safer communities that the Pitt Review intended.
5. The importance of maintaining consistent capital investment in flood risk
management across parliaments
We also need to include communities much more and be more innovative.
Paul Cobbing said, “Flooding is a national priority, but at the moment it is still treated as
a surprise whenever it happens. We need to act now so that people don’t have to deal
with the trauma and devastation that it brings.”
ENDS
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The National Flood Forum • Registered Charity No. 1121642
• A Company Limited By Guarantee • Registered in England & Wales No. 4349401
Registered Office: Old Snuff Mill Warehouse, Park Lane, Bewdley, Worcs DY12 2EL • VAT Registered No: 786 2681 83
National Flood Forum
Old Snuff Mill Warehouse
Park Lane, Bewdley
Worcestershire DY12 2EL
Tel 01299 403055
www.floodforum.org.uk
For further information, live quotes or interviews contact:
Paul Cobbing, Chief Executive, National Flood Forum
Mobile: 0777 3355 181
Email: paul.cobbing@floodforum.org.uk
Editors notes:
The Committee on Climate Change’s 2015 annual progress report will be published on
the CCC website on the morning of Tuesday 30 June 2015. You can access it then by
following this link: http://www.theccc.org.uk/publications/
The CCC is an independent statutory body established under the Climate Change Act
(2008) to advise the UK Government on setting carbon budgets, and to report to
Parliament on the progress made in reducing greenhouse gas emissions:
http://www.theccc.org.uk/.
The National Adaptation Programme is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/209866/p
b13942-nap-20130701.pdf. The Committee has a legal obligation to review the
Programme in order to assess whether it adequately responds the risks that have been
identified to the UK from climate change. The assessment of those risks is available
here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/69487/pb
13698-climate-risk-assessment.pdf
The National Flood Forum
The National Flood Forum is a national charity dedicated to supporting and representing
communities and individuals at risk of flooding. We do this by:
1. Supporting people to prepare for flooding to prevent it or mitigate its impacts
2. Helping people to recover their lives if they have been flooded
3. Campaigning on behalf of flood risk communities by working with government
and agencies to ensure that their concerns are properly addressed
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The National Flood Forum • Registered Charity No. 1121642
• A Company Limited By Guarantee • Registered in England & Wales No. 4349401
Registered Office: Old Snuff Mill Warehouse, Park Lane, Bewdley, Worcs DY12 2EL • VAT Registered No: 786 2681 83
National Flood Forum
Old Snuff Mill Warehouse
Park Lane, Bewdley
Worcestershire DY12 2EL
Tel 01299 403055
www.floodforum.org.uk
The National Flood Forum believes that flooding should be a national priority for all of
Government. Government departments should proactively reduce flood risk through an
integrated, people centred flood risk management policy. They should:
1. Set much more meaningful targets to reduce flood risk to homes and businesses,
with milestones and a statutory requirement to report to Parliament on progress
2. Ensure that funding for maintenance of flood assets is maintained for all Flood
Risk Management Authorities, as recommended by the EFRA Select Committee.
Failure to do so wastes resources and puts lives at risk.
3. Ensure that overall capital spending on flood risk management is maintained
across parliaments as articulated in the Environment Agency Long Term
Investment Scenarios 2014.
4. Review how planning policy is actually implemented to address the concerns of
hundreds of communities across the country
5. Improve building regulations and British Standards to protect properties.
6. Implement Sustainable Urban Drainage fully on new developments to reduce
run-off, and consider how to do the same for existing properties
7. Ensure that local authorities have flood risk management teams with the right
skills, as required by the Flood Risk and Water Management Act 2010
8. Require public and business organisations in significant flood risk areas to have
flood incident plans in place and to practice these at least annually.
9. Commission Fire and Rescue services to promote flood risk management in their
work, as some already do
10. Review design standards for highways, drainage and sewerage systems
11. Actively promote the full range of flood risk management approaches through all
government departments, including managing catchments, supporting and
empowering community initiatives and maintaining rivers and ditches.
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The National Flood Forum • Registered Charity No. 1121642
• A Company Limited By Guarantee • Registered in England & Wales No. 4349401
Registered Office: Old Snuff Mill Warehouse, Park Lane, Bewdley, Worcs DY12 2EL • VAT Registered No: 786 2681 83
National Flood Forum
Old Snuff Mill Warehouse
Park Lane, Bewdley
Worcestershire DY12 2EL
Tel 01299 403055
www.floodforum.org.uk

Flooding hits health and wealth of communities. The lack of good flood risk
insurance can be financially devastating for families. The effect on the local
economy, particularly housing markets and small businesses, can last for years
and blight severely affected areas. Older and vulnerable people may never
recover, in health or financially, and there is a significant cost to public services
The National Flood Forum provides a range of help and services.
1. Help people to prepare for flooding in order to prevent it or mitigate its
impacts
2. Help people to recover their lives once they have been flooded
3. Campaign on behalf of flood risk communities and working with
government and agencies to ensure that they develop a community
perspective.
How we help
1. Supporting community flood groups and the work that they do to reduce
their flood risk. We now have over 200 affiliated groups in England and
Wales
2. Helping communities to recover from flooding
3. Providing a telephone help line for all flood related enquiries including
insurance.
4. Providing information and guidance through our website and our regular
bulletin
5. Providing flood surgeries and exhibitions to help people with their
problems raise awareness
6. Training for local authorities, agencies and the voluntary sector
7. Running Blue Pages, a directory of products
Helpline for advice on flooding issues– 01299 403055,
Website for information and contacts – www.floodforum.org.uk
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The National Flood Forum • Registered Charity No. 1121642
• A Company Limited By Guarantee • Registered in England & Wales No. 4349401
Registered Office: Old Snuff Mill Warehouse, Park Lane, Bewdley, Worcs DY12 2EL • VAT Registered No: 786 2681 83