Almost 3.5m homes in the UK are “practically unsellable” because of the risk of flooding, new figures reveal.
Research from The Climate Coalition found that two-thirds of people living in homes at risk of flooding describe them as “practically unsellable”.
More than half (58%) of the general public said they would think twice about buying a property on a floodplain, even if it was their dream home.
The Environment Agency estimates that 5.2m properties in the UK are currently at risk of flooding, with the potential for that number to double in the next 50 years.
Meanwhile, homeowners who are affected are shelling out £5,250 each year protecting and repairing their properties. Three quarters of them also say they are paying above-average prices for buildings and contents insurance because they live on a floodplain.
Fiona Dear, head of campaigns at The Climate Coalition, said: “The many towns and villages that have already experienced flooding across the UK know only too well how terrifying it is. Unfortunately, rising global temperatures due to climate change are causing more extreme weather patterns and more intense rainfall. This will lead to more properties being exposed to the risk of dangerous, expensive flooding, and a rising tide of stranded families who can’t sell their homes.”
The Climate Coalition is calling on the government to make a firmer commitment to fight rising temperatures and other contributory factors to increased flooding.
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