Inquiry into Existing Housing and Climate Change Memorandum submitted by the Association of British Insurers

 

I am writing to you in response to the Communities and Local Government Select Committee inquiry into Existing Housing and Climate Change. The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has been leading the debate on the need to adapt our planning regime and building stock to the consequences of climate change. Addressing the resilience against extreme weather of new and existing housing stock is a vital part of this.

 

If the Government is to meet its climate change targets, it must develop a comprehensive strategy for dealing with the existing housing stock. Increasing the energy efficiency of existing homes is an important part of this. The ABI welcomes the significant action being taken to address efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the package of recent proposals put forward by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

 

However, whilst there is no doubt that reducing carbon emissions will help prevent future damage, the climate will also continue to change over the next 30 to 40 years in any case because of historic emissions. We therefore need to take action now to protect our communities.

 

Climate change will result in significant impacts on housing. Increasing frequency and severity of storms and floods will lead to more frequent and costly repairs, and declining housing quality in difficult locations. Higher temperatures will result in health problems. This requires the strengthening of building standards to deal with more frequent extreme weather conditions, together with higher standards for social housing and housing for vulnerable groups. The poor will suffer most here in the UK, as abroad.

 

Our strong belief is that the planning regime needs to stop construction of new housing and commercial buildings in high-risk areas. Since 2002 over 800 developments have gone ahead against the Environment Agency's advice that the risk of flood was too great. The EA now has new powers and we are urging local planning authorities to work with them to ensure the risks associated with new developments, including the flood risk to existing properties, are properly understood and acted upon by the relevant planning committee.

 

Where developments are agreed, measures should be taken to protect the development itself and neighbouring properties from the risks of river or coastal flooding, and from the increased risk of drainage problems. This requires strong directions (and sanctions) from the planning process, tougher building regulations, new measures to make sustainable drainage systems practical and a developer's 'connection charge' to fund protection for the wider community.

 

Good quality housing addresses the social and environmental needs of people today as well as future generations. It should be sustainable in every sense of the word - minimising the impact on the local environment and natural resources, adaptable, able to cope with changing environmental conditions and social needs. By meeting these requirements, good quality housing will remain insurable and mortgagable.