Norwich Union (NU) is in discussions about using a satellite-based system to monitor ground movement connected with subsidence claims.

The insurer is in talks with NPA Group about feeding information from its Ground Stability system into a future subsidence risk map.

NU head of property claims John Wickham said: "Following the launch of our flood map, we are looking at ways in which the technology could be used in the future for other insurance perils, such as subsidence, wind storms and coastal flooding. For example, we are at the very early stages of considering how the map could be used to pinpoint risk of subsidence more accurately."

Monitoring equipment from the fleet of European Space Agency satellites can detect movement down to a fraction of a millimetre, from 500 miles up in space.

  • See the Claims supplement on 29 April for a special feature on subsidence