sorry if that Guardian newspaper link doesn't work.
for anyone interested, it says this....
New flood maps pinpoint risk areas
Access to data allows homeowners to assess property's vulnerability but could lead to falls in house prices and higher insurance premiums
Paul Brown, environment correspondent
Thursday October 7, 2004
The Guardian
New maps of flood risks across the country which could cause a 15% drop in house values in vulnerable areas and large increases in insurance premiums, will be available for the first time today.
House owners will be able to find out whether their homes are at low, moderate, or high risk of flooding by pinpointing them on an internet map on the Environment Agency site.
For many the maps will be good news because new, more sophisticated techniques mean the information is no longer based just on postcodes. As a result 100,000 homes have been moved out of the at-risk zone - although there are still 1.8m homes in the one-in-100-year risk of a flood area.
It is those in the higher risk area, a one-in-75-year chance, who will find themselves having to negotiate for flood insurance and may face a drop in value of their house.