Using Previsico’s flood solution via Zurich Municipal to protect Chelmer Housing Partnership residents
CHP manages over 11,000 homes in Essex, including The Waterings, a development near the River Brain prone to flooding. Despite some flood defences being installed, the housing cooperative needed clearer insights in order to act quickly and provide the appropriate level of response.
The Problem
Established in 2002 and headquartered in Chelmsford, Chelmer Housing Partnership (CHP) is a housing cooperative that manages over 11,000 homes across Essex, including 600 blocks of flats. CHP continues to grow steadily, building between 300 and 500 new homes each year to meet increasing housing demand.
CHP looks after a site known as The Waterings. Located near the River Brain, the site is a mixed development comprising both houses and flats, built approximately 20 years ago. The development is home to a diverse range of tenants and is situated in an area with varying flood risk. Water flows downhill toward the development, feeding into the River Brain, which runs adjacent to the site. Due to its layout and proximity to the river, the lower section of the site is at heightened risk of flooding. In the past two years alone, it has experienced two significant flood events. As a result, the area is now monitored closely whenever heavy rainfall is forecast.
The housing cooperative had implemented some flood measures for specific sites, including the Waterings. These measures focused on the installation of flood doors and included other mitigation equipment. However, these doors proved difficult to locate and had, in effect, been ‘lost’ amid the chaos and immediate impact of previous flooding events.
With Previsico, we’ve been able to mobilize teams more efficiently, as we know when a flood event is going to hit. It’s such a positive change for us and our approach to flood risk. From the insurance side, having Previsico’s solution is reassurance that people’s homes are not going to get damaged. We can proactively protect our residents from a flooding incident which in many cases can be absolutely devastating for them.
Solution
After learning about what Previsico could offer, the insurance team at the housing cooperative were excited to explore an effective solution to the recurring flood issues at The Waterings development. The Previsico solution offers both forecasting and sensors - which CHP opted for.
Diane Petts, Facilities and Business Support Manager at CHP said: “We saw a presentation, talked to our Head of Operations and booked an appointment for a site visit. Previsico figured out the best places to put the sensors, one under the bridge and one on the culvert.”
Following the initial engagement, CHP worked to develop a tailored three-stage flood action plan for The Waterings site in particular. This ensured that, not only were the correct flood doors sourced and ready for deployment, but also that the repairs and maintenance team were fully integrated into the process and prepared to act quickly.
Speaking about the process, Diane added: “The whole implementation of Previsico was very smooth, from the site visits and feedback from the teams, to keeping in touch and organizing the installation. We now have a clear dashboard that is really easy to understand and simple to use.”
In January 2025 the team were warned of a potential risk via a series of alerts from Previsico, the housing cooperative experienced a heavy downpour and the team were able to quickly mobilize their team to install the flood doors at the Waterings site, ensuring no flood impacts were experienced.
Benefits
- Having sensors installed on a particular site – alongside forecasting – showed that with early warning alerts the housing cooperative can deliver the best solution for flood mitigation.
- The housing cooperative observed a positive response from tenants, many of whom were unaware a flood had occurred and all of which were able to remain safely in their home.
- The loss of doors and other vital equipment highlighted how important a flood action plan is – with the help of Previsico, CHP were able to implement a robust three stage flood action process.
- The housing cooperative is now able to accurately characterize flood impacts and risk areas, particularly on problem sites. This knowledge means they can be laser focused when it comes to distributing resources and mobilizing teams to take action.