High risk of flooding in Lincolnshire is highlighted in UK Flood Report

The high risk of flooding in the area has been highlighted by a new survey.

According to the UK Flood Report, Lincolnshire is fourth in the places most at risk of flooding in the country.

Topping the table is Kingston Upon Hull, where 16.8% of properties have more than a 1% chance of flooding.

Behind it in the top five are North Lincolnshire 13.9%, Doncaster 12.6%, Lincolnshire 12.1% and Windsor and Maidenhead 11.2%.

In Lincolnshire 34% of properties have a greater than 0.01% chance of flooding while 32.3% of properties have a greater than 0.1% risk of flooding, according to the survey by Utility Bidder.

Last year a report by insurance firm Darwin Clayton discovered that 14% of properties in the UK are at risk of flooding - including some areas close to home.

“A staggering six communities across Lincolnshire have been named among the UK’s most likely places to flood,” the report read.

“These include Lincoln, Gainsborough, Woodhall Spa, Boston, Holbeach and Skegness.

“Most of the region lies 5m below sea level, with many of its rivers, like the River Glen and The Welland, actually sitting above the land.

“Even in its driest months, Lincolnshire experiences a lot of rain. This quickly fills up its rivers which can easily overflow onto its low-lying floodplain.”

However, investment is being made to combat the risk of flooding.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is spending billions of pounds to battle the dangers of climate change and rising sea levels.

A spokesperson said: “We recognise the personal devastation that flooding can cause and how climate change means we must take further action against this danger.

“This is why we are investing a record £5.2 billion over six years in around 2,000 flood and coastal erosion schemes to better protect communities across England.

“Alongside this record investment, we are working with industry and (insurers) Flood Re to support access to affordable insurance, enable homeowners to return home more quickly after flood events and help flooded households become more resilient to flooding.

“The Environment Agency provides free flood warnings and advice on how to prepare for a flood - we encourage everyone to go online to check if they are at risk, sign up and access the free information on what to do if flooding hits.”

Also combating the risk of flooding is Anglian Water . A spokesperson said: “Our teams work hard across the region to ensure our sewer network is running as it should and can take excess rain water away as quickly as possible.

“But flooding is often an extremely complex issue with many different owners for the drainage network such as highways, councils and even private owners, as well as ourselves.

“Our changing climate means extreme and unpredictable weather events are becoming more common.

“Combined with a fast-growing population, our sewer networks are at an increased risk of becoming overwhelmed during heavy rainfall. Making our region resilient to the impacts of flooding and other climate change risks is at the heart of Anglian Water’s approach to long-term investment planning. We work with a range of organisations to tackle flooding, including lead local flood authorities and the Environment Agency, and we’re investing £100m over the next three years to improve the underground infrastructure in Lincolnshire.”