{"id":36832,"date":"2017-12-01T08:45:58","date_gmt":"2017-12-01T08:45:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/?p=36832"},"modified":"2017-11-30T12:48:58","modified_gmt":"2017-11-30T12:48:58","slug":"developing-solutions-to-reduce-the-impact-of-flooding-in-uk-properties","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/planning-construction-news\/developing-solutions-to-reduce-the-impact-of-flooding-in-uk-properties\/36832\/","title":{"rendered":"All is not lost: Developing solutions to reduce the impact of flooding in UK properties"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mary Dhonau OBE, chair of the Property Care Association\u2019s Flood Resilience Group, sets out some of the actions that can be taken to reduce the impact of flooding \u2013 and why a co-ordinated approach is vital<\/h2>\n

As winter approaches, the impact of any prolonged wet weather or flash flooding could see homes across the UK affected. I know from personal experience the heartache and devastation felt when a home is flooded.<\/p>\n

Being flooded is just awful but often, far worse is the recovery. Some people are not yet back in their homes from Storm Desmond, which struck large swaths of Northern England in December 2015. Poorly executed works also prolong the anguish and come as a double blow when people are already at a low point.<\/p>\n

So, back in 2014, I was delighted to take up the position of chair of the PCA\u2019s Flood Resilience Group. The group was formed after we saw first-hand the impact of poor quality, unregulated works to recover homes in Hull and many other areas affected by the catastrophic floods of 2007.<\/p>\n

In many areas, householders not only had to suffer the impact of flooding but also the effects of poor quality recovery work, which meant they were unable to get their lives back to normal for years after the event.<\/p>\n

Recognising the positive impact PCA members \u2013 whose expertise centres around managing water and damp in buildings \u2013 could provide in this area, the PCA Flood Resilience Group was formed with specific training, the development of a Code of Practice and other initiatives designed to give insurers and householders a route to trusted specialists. Three years on and today the group\u2019s expertise extends across the key areas of flood resilience, resistance and flood recovery.<\/p>\n

Flooding can be managed but not stopped altogether. Homeowners must be aware that while flood alleviation schemes reduce the risk of being flooded, they do not take it away. We witnessed that during the winter floods of 2015, when flood defences <\/a>in Keswick and Carlisle were overtopped and the Foss Barrier in York was overwhelmed.<\/p>\n

\"impactHowever, the good news is that the expertise developed in this time means the group is well-placed to offer a range of solutions to significantly reduce residual risk at an individual property level.<\/p>\n

Flood resilience<\/h3>\n

Modern innovations and professional techniques mean homes can now be made more resilient to enable them to withstand the effects of flooding more effectively.<\/p>\n

Property flood resilience measures can help reduce the impact of future floods by keeping water out as far as possible or, where flood water cannot be prevented from entering a property, minimising the damage and ensuring the water is removed as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n

Resilience measures are designed to speed up the time between when a building is flooded and when the occupant can return.<\/p>\n

Resilience measures include:<\/p>\n