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Swindon & Wiltshire News
FSB renews calls for flood relief
The Federation of Small Businesses has renewed calls for commercial premises to be covered by the government’s flood relief scheme.
The new scheme, which was due to launch in 2015, is the result of deal struck between the government and insurers last summer.
The scheme – called Flood Re – would cap the costs of insurance for properties vulnerable to flooding – but would only cover residential properties in its current form.
Repeating calls first made in November last year, John Allan, national chairman of the FSB, said: ““It is of deep concern that Government has chosen not to include small businesses in its Flood Re scheme.
“FSB research shows one in five small firms were affected by flooding last year alone. If they can’t use this scheme, small businesses in areas at risk of floods will be forced to pay exorbitantly high costs to be insured against this threat.
“We want the Government to think again on this issue and we will be looking to Parliamentarians to table amendments to the forthcoming Water Bill.”
The FSB’s regional branch – FSB Somerset and Wiltshire – represents around 7,500 small firms and self employed people in the counties, including some of those worst hit by this year’s floods.
