RESIDENTS in parts of Innerleithen are facing massive hikes in insurance premiums after being deemed to live in a high-risk flood area, community councillors have heard.

Innerleithen, Traquair and Glen Community Council were told some homes near the Leithen Water and River Tweed, have seen their quotes quadruple from £250 to £1000.

It follows the launch of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s new flood maps.

Former community councillor Ross McGinn said: “A huge number of households seem to have been hit by this and it’s something that could affect the whole community. Some older people have lived here all their lives and have never known anything like this before. It’s very worrying.

“I have had a number of people asking me what can be done as some of them are experiencing premiums three or four times higher than they have had to pay before.

“Some of the houses involved are near the school and it’s also affected businesses on the High Street. This is an absolute nonsense as there’s never been any flooding for as long as I can remember.” The community council agreed to contact Scottish Borders Council for advice on what can be done and revealed they could involve local MP David Mundell and MSP Paul Wheelhouse.

Community councillor Marshall Douglas said: “This has to be a major concern as it could affect mortgage applications as well.” Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) this week explained its new flood maps were designed to protect local communities from flooding and not for insurance companies to set insurance premiums.

Speaking to the Peeblesshire after the community council meeting, a SEPA spokesman said: “SEPA does not supply its flood risk mapping data for the purposes of setting insurance premiums and the terms and conditions for use of our flood maps specifically excludes such use.

“SEPA flood maps available on our website are designed to be used as a national strategic assessment of flood risk. It is not a tool to assess the flood risk to individual properties and they should not be used by insurers to set insurance premiums.

“Some insurance companies possess their own flood maps which they use to assess flood risk. Different insurers have different methods for assessing flood risk and these methods can include use of their own risk maps, postcodes and the history of previous claims in the area.”