Land agent Aston Mead believes that the country needs to get rid of the notion that sand bags can prevent homes from being flooded and instead adopt a radically different approach.
The call comes as new survey reveals that one in three home owners are unaware whether their home is on a flood plain or not.
Almost 10,000 homes a year are built on floodplains, with an average of one new home in every 14 constructed on land that has a significant chance of flooding, either from a river or the sea.
Aston Mead director Richard Watkins said that flood prevention should be at the core of construction on floodplains. ‘We can’t go on treating flooding as an afterthought. Instead, we should be building properties which are specifically designed to rise and fall with the flood water. The technology is already available out there, all we have to do is make best use of it,’ he explained.
He points to designs for homes which are built on top of a pre-cast pontoon sitting inside an excavated concrete void. As flood water enters the void, the pontoon rises, guided by vertical rails which can be hidden within walls and chimney breasts. As the floodwater recedes, the house returns to its original position, with a pump removing any excess water. Access is available at all times using an articulated pathway, and services remain connected using a system of flexible knuckle joints.
‘This system is completely scalable, and designs of properties can range from the very traditional to the highly contemporary, with the footprint of the floating pontoon extending beyond the building itself to include garages, terraces and gardens,’ Watkins pointed out.
‘The pontoons can also be used as fully habitable basements and there are few limitations to size, design or even the number of storeys that can be added on top. An additional advantage is that as water fills the void, it reduces the amount of flood water passing onto neighbouring properties,’ he said.
‘These buildings can be mortgaged on standard terms by most lenders and they also qualify for standard household insurance despite being on the floodplain. What’s more, if they are also fitted with grey water recycling and photo-voltaic panels, they can remain fully functional safe havens even in the worst flooding conditions,’ he added.
Recent Met Office figures revealed that December 2015 was the wettest month ever recorded in the UK, with almost twice the amount of average rainfall and more storms hit the country in January and already in February.
‘Resorting to a supply of sandbags in the garage just in case is no longer good enough. We can’t continue fighting floods forever. Rain will always fall and water will always rise. And with annual rainfall set to continue, even areas not currently at risk may become vulnerable to flooding in the future,’ said Watkins.
‘These new construction methods mean that we can help develop floodplain sites, in the certain knowledge that future owners won’t experience the sort of devastation from flooding that we’ve already seen across the country this winter,’ he added.
Meanwhile, a survey from Appliances Direct found that 35% of home owners are unaware whether their home is at risk of flooding and 21% confessed they would have no idea how to tackle it if their home was to flood, with 14% even admitting to not knowing which emergency service they should contact should it happen.
Some 27% struggled to list more than three ways to minimise the impact of flooding on their homes and possessions and 16% admitted to having researched how to putting flooding plans in place over the last 12 months and 9% hadn’t looked into protecting their home as they believe it wouldn’t happen to them.
‘Following the recent devastation and damage we have seen occurring across the UK as a result of flooding it’s surprising how many are still in the dark about the flooding risk to their homes,’ said Mark Kelly, the firm’s marketing manager.
‘Measures to protect, prevent and resolve flood damage are often simple, but in times of distress and panic they can be forgotten, so it is important that people are prepared and clear on what to do should the worst happen,’ he added.
