There are many floating houses now on the market, not just barges, but full size three bed houses, the services are supplied by telescopic hoses and cables with a couple of good anchors, at least people would not have to keep starting over when washed out and they cost less than a re-build, also if you wanted to move just take the house with you, just hire a tug, as for transport those six wheel road worthy floating run abouts are ideal, good way to relieve road congestion in some places. but the govn. would have to build a few more slipways

It does sound an interesting idea, but i wonder how the insurance companies would view such a development. They might feel that the flood plain offers better value with no development acting has a huge sponge to soak up the water and save properties not built on the flood plain.

With the shortage of good Marinas and linear moorings available for livaboards, that sounds like a very good idea. I'll vote for you if you stand for World Dictator!

Far easier just to build houses in sensible places.

Flood plains are well defined, the EA website has them all listed. Have a look at Tewksbury. It dark blue !! So obvious hew housing should not be there.

The "we need to build on flood plains " arguement is lobbied by ...guess who....land owners who own land on the flood plains.

I own 186 acres and sometimes think i'm the only bloody landowner in the country who hasn't applied for new housing. In our immediate area ( a flood plain ) there are 200 applications in the local development framework. A recipe for disaster.

Saw these on a programme. Holland has a lot built like this and seem a good idea.

I was suckered into buying a piece of land that was dry in the summer, but underwater in the winter. Asked about doing something like that, but the town planning/permitting office didn't think much of the idea.