Government report into insurance issues faced by South Yorkshire flood victims delayed due to coronavirus pandemic

The Government announced the Blanc review in April after catastrophic floods hit areas of South Yorkshire in November.

Led by former chair of the Association of British Insurers and former Chair of the Insurance Fraud Bureau Amanda Blanc, the report was due to be a deep dive into insurance cover for those affected in Doncaster following the November 2019 floods, with a potential for future recommendations.

But nearly a year on from the floods, while many of those affected are still living in temporary accommodation, the report has not yet been published - and is now overdue.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the report was complete and would be released soon, but there had been a slight delay due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But Doncaster North Labour MP Ed Miliband said this was not good enough, and that he had submitted evidence in June, claiming that the scope of the review should go much further.

It comes as severe weather warnings are in place for parts of Yorkshire over the weekend, a reminder that it was not just South Yorkshire hit by recent floods.

Flood warnings were in place for the lower River Nidd, the tidal River Ouse from Naburn Lock to Selby, the upper River Aire and the upper River Ouse.

Speaking to the Yorkshire Post Mr Miliband said: “One year on from the floods, there are still residents in Doncaster North who haven’t been able to move back into their homes and who have spent months battling insurance companies.”

Two of those are pensioners Kath Smith and Mick Ryan, who were flooded out of their Fishlake bungalow on November 8, 2019.

Still living in a friend’s rented annex, and enduring the coronavirus pandemic while Mr Ryan battles incurable cancer, the pair have given up on being back home in time for Christmas for a second year.

Mr Miliband said: “Some insurers have acted responsibly and have reinstated properties but others have dragged their feet and forced customers into protracted negotiations on what they will and won’t cover.

“Until very recently, there were properties that hadn’t been dried out or stripped properly, or had dangerous wiring. There were people with health issues living in the upstairs of their properties as they never expected the work on their homes to take so long.”

He said there had been some improvements for residents but he added: “Lessons must be learned for the future and we need to see proper investment in flood defences to do everything we can to protect residents.

“So many people have faced such tough times. I know we owe it to them to keep fighting for them. That is what I will keep doing."

The terms of reference of the Blanc Review clearly said it was to be published in September, but when approached by the Yorkshire Post last month the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) claimed it was only due to be finished in September, and released “shortly afterwards”.

However, as November approaches, it is still yet to surface.

Defra said the review included a deep dive case study of the Doncaster area, speaking to households and businesses affected, which was made more difficult by the lockdown restrictions, and is the reason for the delay.

It comes after a flooding summit promised by the Environment Secretary was finally held earlier this month, to look at how the region could be protected in the future.

Sheffield City Region mayor Dan Jarvis, who called the Government out for not organising the summit until a year after it was pledged, said: “I’m pleased that at the long-awaited Flooding Summit last month with Ministers, there was clear consensus of support from South Yorkshire’s leaders and MPs to deliver, in total, our South Yorkshire Flood Priority Programme.

“These 27 priority schemes, which have been developed by the Mayoral Combined Authority with support from local authorities and the Environment Agency, will enable us to address the weaknesses in flood protection. Once completed the schemes will help protect more than 10,300 homes and 2,800 businesses across South Yorkshire.

“Alongside flood protection, residents and businesses need certainty that when they do move back into their homes and businesses, they will not face insurance problems. I know that the Government’s Blanc report is rightly considering these issues, but this report should have returned its findings in September. Residents need certainty and I call on Ministers to provide an urgent update on this report.”

Defra said that since 2015, the Government had invested more in flood defences in Yorkshire than any other region – £496m in total, better protecting more than 66,000 properties.

Despite the pandemic, they said that recovery from the floods had also been continued with £120m available to carry out a programme of repairs to defences caused by the storm and the extension of a £5,000 grant scheme for homes and businesses affected by flooding.