 Hull, East Riding and Tewkesbury were the worst affected areas |
More than 10,000 people are still unable to return to their homes after last summer's flooding, figures obtained by BBC Radio 5 Live suggest. Councils in England confirmed around 5,000 households remained affected, but added many may not be on lists because they rented or stayed with relatives. A shortage of skilled workers, as well as problems caused by a cool, wet winter have slowed down repairs. The worst affected areas are Hull, East Riding and Tewkesbury. Claims influx The government said it had given �85m to help communities recover as soon as possible. The situation is most serious in Hull, East Yorkshire, where 2,269 households are living in temporary accommodation - around 10% of the city's population. East Riding of Yorkshire Council told the BBC that 1,312 households were still displaced there, with 908 in caravans. Paul Hendy from the National Flood Forum told the BBC the insurance industry had struggled to deal with the influx of claims. "There has been a lot of unacceptable delays in payments, not just for builders but also for policy holders as well." The Association of British Insurers (ABI) said its members had to deal with 180,000 claims and had paid out more than �3bn. They said they took more requests for claims in June and July last year than in the previous four years. Malcolm Tarling, from the ABI, said their records showed 15,500 people who had claimed on their insurance had gone into temporary accommodation, with 75% of those now back home. He said the industry was "working round the clock to get the remaining people back in their homes".  |  The damp and delays I've encountered have caused secondary damage upstairs |
"The biggest problem we face apart from the sheer number of claims is the British weather," he said. "It is clearly unacceptable that there are people still in temporary accommodation, but the sad reality is, it has taken this amount of time for properties to dry out." Christine Smith is one of an estimated 5,300 people in Hull still displaced by the summer deluge. Nine months on, her home has no floorboards, no kitchen, and no fixtures or fittings. She was due to be back in her home by Christmas but is still living in a caravan. She said it was a case of everyone - from the loss adjusters to the builders - being "overwhelmed" by the amount of work. "The damp and delays I've encountered have caused secondary damage upstairs," she added. "I've had to throw the beds out, the carpets out and everything has turned mouldy." Skilled worker shortage In Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, 465 households are still unable to return home, and in Gloucester, repair work has yet to be completed on 176 properties. BBC Radio 5 Live obtained figures from councils in the worst affected areas and the numbers reflected the situation as of 20 March. Most councils based their figures on applications for council tax rebates, though some carried out additional research. The estimate of more than 10,000 people affected reflects the number of households displaced and in contact with local authorities. The actual number of people not in their homes could be much greater. Some of those staying with friends or relatives, or in rental accommodation paid for by insurance companies, may not have contacted their councils. A shortage of builders, carpenters, plumbers, plasterers and electricians has meant thousands of homeowners staying in caravans for longer than necessary. The estimated cost of the floods is �250m and councils in affected areas have received more than �18.4m in recovery grants. Floods Recovery Minister John Healey said affected areas had "not been forgotten". "We always knew that it could take some properties many months to dry out fully before the necessary repairs can be carried out." Regular meetings take place with the Association of British Insurers to ensure momentum is kept up, he added.
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