Buildings insurance and flooding

My renewal date for home and contents insurance is looming so I thought I would look at the comparison site at moneysupermarket.com to see what was currently available for the cover needed and at what price. Bearing in mind the horrendous floods in middle England last summer it isn't surprising that insurers are getting a bit cagey if you are on a flood plain. I expected a question about whether my property was in an area subject to flooding (it's not) but what took me slightly aback was the query - was I within 400 metres of water. In my case there is no doubt, I am less than that distance from the bank of the Tamar. However the river effectively runs through a gorge at this location and whereas some cottages right by the river have a history of being flooded the terrace of which my home is part most certainly doesn't. Even if something akin to the Asian tsunami was to sweep up the river tomorrow I think my feet would stay dry.

In this particular instance no less than 15 companies or brokers have turned me down because of the risk of flooding purely based it would seem on this arbitrary 400 metres. They could have all bid for my business without any enhanced risk whatsoever. I can understand some companies getting concerned as a result of the more extreme weather events of late but this 400 metres thing seems to have been plucked out of thin air and takes no account of local topography for instance. In fairness it's possible that the first part of my postcode, which covers all the village including the few homes flooded in the past, might also have been used in the assessment. Fortunately a number of other companies have come up with some quite good quotes, interestingly though the dearest was well over twice the cost of the cheapest.

On the subject of flooding a recent report on the floods almost 12 months ago points to various deficiencies and I was pleased to see the TV cameras returning to record the fact that there are still families cramped up in caravans and not yet being able to get back into their damaged homes. Like all disasters there is a blitz of media attention at the time of the event and during the immediate aftermath. Then it can all go quiet. If you, friends or relatives aren't directly affected then of course the continuing trauma for some is easily forgotten. So well done to the TV people for keeping us in the loop. Life is darn well short enough as it is so to have to effectively put your life on hold for a year or more must be pretty awful.

Bravery awards for Napoli rescuers

On Friday the MSC Napoli hogged the local headlines as a result of the successful splitting in two using explosive charges. Appropriately at the same time as this terrific news we learn that three rescuers from RNAS Culdrose have been awarded medals for the daring helicopter rescue which saw all 26 crew airlifted from the stricken ship back in January.

So all praise to Jay O'Donnell who will receive the Queen's Gallantry Medal and to Guy Norris and Martin Rhodes who will each receive the Queen's Commendation for Bravery in the Air.

We are reminded yet again of the vital role by the rescue helicopters this weekend as they have been very active in rescuing people from rooftops - reminiscent of Boscastle - as a result of horrendous flooding in the South West Midlands. Places such as Tewksbury and Pershore are virtually islands. I have spoken to brothers in Herefordshire and Worcestershire and they are OK. Both intensity of rain and duration seem to have contributed to the problems. This time most of Devon and all of Cornwall escaped the downpours, the main body of rain being just to the east of us. I understand that crews from St Mawgan and Chivenor are amongst those retrieving people. If ever there was a really good invention then surely it is the helicopter.

What a week that was!

What a week that was! Well not especially so for me I have to say but in terms of happenings on the national scene it most certainly has been a momentous week. Not only did the Glastonbury Festival end in a mudbath (I've already commented about this) but there has been really serious flooding in many parts of the country. Although the greatest amount of damage appears to have been in and around Sheffield with therefore a lot of media coverage very many other places have suffered particularly in 'middle England'. Worcestershire was one of these but I am pleased to say that one brother living in that county has not been affected, likewise another brother in Herefordshire. I've luckily never suffered flooding but for those who have had to evacuate their homes because of flood water well my heart goes out to them. The loss of personal possessions, the fact you can't live in the special comfort of your own home, the sight of all the mud when the water does drain away, it must be unbearable.

Wednesday saw Tony Blair receive a standing ovation in the commons after his final PMQs and David Cameron got the Tories to join in! Then off to the Palace to surrender his position as Prime Minister to be followed by Gordon Brown who was asked by the Queen to form a new government. In his first speech outside No 10, and with his wife at his side, GB repeatedly used the word 'new'. We shall soon see I expect how new he really is. Comment on his new cabinet will come on another blog entry. Suffice to say that the glitzy showbiz feel of Tony Blair has already gone - I don't think we'll see Gordon Brown taking his summer hols at the home of some pop star or another. Certainly he is a very different creature to Blair and that their often fractious relationship has survived till now is remarkable.

On the terrorism front Brown and his new home secretary Jacqui Smith have already had to deal with threats that are thought to be Al-Qaeda inspired: two Mercedes cars with explosives ready to be detonated have been found in London but were fortunately made safe before the terrorists could do their dirty work. Then two Asian men tried to cause mayhem at Glasgow airport by driving a jeep at the main terminal meeting with the evident intention of causing an explosion. Two men were arrested as part of that incident considered to be related to the two failed attempts in London to cause mass carnage. There have now been further arrests.

Yes, it certainly has been a week!

Flooding at Boscastle - midsummer 2007

Less than 3 years after the epic flood of August 2004 Boscastle on the North Cornish coast has again been the recipient of a deluge. Reports indicate that damage now is not comparable with that earlier event but having said that there is two feet of flood water in some properties with the approach roads to Boscastle being impassable to normal traffic.

Good news is that the rivers Valency and Jordan appear to be containing their water, the flooding is due to run off from the surrounding hills and fields. But the rainstorm must be a horrible reminder of what happened before. The Environment Agency will be witnessing how things are working since they started implementing the flood scheme. No doubt today's events will be quite a news story tomorrow.

Furore over proposed bridge at Boscastle

Following the flood in August 2004 that devastated much of Boscastle and Crackington Haven on the North Cornish coast the conclusion was reached that the little bridge in the harbour area at Boscastle would have to be replaced. This is because the existing structure is not big enough to cope with this sort of weather event, something with a larger opening is required. There were thoughts of replacing the existing bridge with a similarly styled one in stone but it was considered that the new one would be too dominant (I agree). The alternative suggested is a lighter looking steel structure which I think from the pictures I've seen would be an elegant addition.

However the majority of locals don't seem to agree with this viewpoint! I think that there are a few occasions when you can't hang on to the past by building something which pretends to come from another era. A modern bridge here would act as a reminder of the rebuilding after the flood. On this subject one only has to look at the rebuilding of the little shop with the very wavy roof line in the harbour area (a former pig house I believe!). This may be good for the tourists but is make believe really - for instance building regs mean it is noticeably higher than before; it may have used much of the old materials but it is not the same building and I believe it is wrong to pretend it is. In other words I wouldn't have rebuilt it. Harsh words I know but I believe in honesty in the built environment.

Second home to the rescue

Normally I wouldn't be writing in support of second homes; when when you are aware of some towns and villages around the coast of Devon and Cornwall having 50% plus second homes you have to say "this is just too much". Yes I can understand the well heeled wanting a second home in Devon or Cornwall but there are good reasons to limit their numbers which I'll blog about another time.

However here is a little story that shows it's not all bad regarding second homes... I should explain that our village is well away from the coast of Cornwall (as much as anywhere in Cornwall can be far from the coast) and that the number of second homes here is minimal. In late November we had some localised flooding in the village caused by an evening of torrential rain. Fortunately our little terrace of cottages escaped unscathed. A few days later I was in the main street and crossed the road to speak to a lady aquaintance who I knew lived in a slightly vulnerable location "out in the sticks". Pleased to say that Jane was ok although some of her neighbours had suffered water ingress. However Jane informed me that another woman, not one of her neighbours but a lady from another part of the village, had had several feet of floodwater in her home and was looking for temporary accommodation whilst things dried out and the electrics etc could be sorted, perhaps 2 or 3 months. She has a couple of children of school age and naturally didn't want their education disrupted so Jane asked me if I knew anywhere locally for this family.

Three houses along from me there is a second home owned by a couple rom the southeast who occasionally visit but also let out the cottage as self catering holiday accommodation. I was able to email the husband to explain the family's predicament and asking if they could help which they could. Then it was just a matter of a phone call or two to get the wheels rolling. As luck would have it the couple from the SE were comoing down that weekend anyway so the two parties were able to meet each other. In this instance a second home came to the rescue! A happy outcome.

There are, for me, some issues which I see in black and white but there are many others where you have to be somewhat pragmatic. Perhaps the thorny issue of second homes in Devon and Cornwall is one of the latter!