Aviva CEO Amanda Blanc warned new flood-zone homes could become uninsurable.
Why it matters: The warning ties climate risk directly to housing supply, mortgageability and insurance access. It also increases pressure on ministers as they weigh flood policy and housing growth.
- Amanda Blanc made the remarks on Sept. 29, 2026, in comments reported by The Guardian ahead of the autumn budget.
- She said flood risk is "absolutely increasing" and homes built now in risky areas could become "uninsurable."
- Aviva said in February 2026 that one in nine new homes in England were built in areas of flood risk, based on government statistics.
- Flood Re generally excludes homes built after Jan. 1, 2009, and the UK government said in March 2025 it had no plans to extend the scheme.
Aviva chief executive Amanda Blanc warned that homes being built now in flood-risk areas could become uninsurable as flooding worsens, according to a Guardian report published Sept. 29, 2026.
The warning lands at a sensitive moment for ministers because insurance access can shape whether homes are financeable and saleable. Blanc's comments also follow a separate Aviva analysis in February 2026 that said one in nine new homes in England were built in areas of flood risk, using government statistics.
Flood Re, the UK flood reinsurance scheme, generally excludes homes built after Jan. 1, 2009. A House of Commons Library briefing says that rule is intended to avoid encouraging development in high-risk areas. In March 2025, the government told Parliament it had no plans to extend Flood Re to post-2009 homes, according to the briefing.
Blanc also criticized pre-budget speculation as "kite flying," the Guardian reported.
The planning dispute is already showing up in real cases. On Sept. 27, 2026, the Guardian reported that a High Court ruling allowed 190 homes on floodplains in North Somerset despite concerns about insurance and mortgageability.
By the numbers
- 1 in 9 - Aviva said one in nine new homes in England were built in areas of flood risk, based on government statistics.
- 1 Jan. 2009 - Flood Re generally excludes homes built after this date.
- 190 - A Sept. 27, 2026 Guardian report said a High Court ruling allowed 190 homes on floodplains in North Somerset.
Yes, but: "Uninsurable" is a risk warning, not a categorical claim that every flood-zone home will lose cover; Blanc said homes built now in risky areas could become uninsurable as flood risk rises.
What's next: The autumn budget is the next clear policy moment flagged in the reporting.