Bricks and Water: Build Flood-Resilient Communities to Deliver Sustainable Growth

In her speech to business leaders in Oxford last week, the Chancellor pledged to go “further and faster” to deliver the Government’s “number one” mission - economic growth. Reform to the planning system will be key to achieving growth in the housing sector and building the 300,000 new homes that the Government has promised annually, with a Planning and Infrastructure Bill expected in the Spring.

Proposals for a more strategic planning system that delivers sustainable homes fit for the future are welcome. However, the need to meet housing targets should not come at the expense of?safeguards that protect communities from flooding.

As our recent Bricks and Water inquiry detailed, even under existing planning guidance, new homes are routinely being located within areas of high flood risk – often against the advice of the Environment Agency. Although last year’s changes to the National Planning Policy Framework relating to flood risk were modest, it is vital that forthcoming planning reform does not lead to an increase in allocations or permissions for new development in areas of flood risk. Bricks and Water made several recommendations for simple changes to the planning system that would help to ensure that new homes are resilient to flooding and built in suitable places.?These include that:

• Planning decisions should draw on the Environment Agency’s updated Flood Map for Planning(set for release in March), which includes allowances for climate change.? This will help to avoid the location of new development in areas of future flood risk.
• Measures necessary to mitigate flood risk in new development should be agreed upon earlier in the planning application process. Where planning conditions for flood mitigation are necessary, these should be as specific as possible and consistent across Local Planning Authority areas.? This will provide a level playing field for developers.
• The National Planning Policy Framework should be strengthened to make consideration of Shoreline Management Plan approaches mandatory.? This will ensure that investment decisions for the coast are factored into Local Plans.

Economic growth cannot happen when people are displaced from their homes, public transport is disrupted, and businesses are closed – all direct impacts of flooding. Effective flood risk management is not only a vital prerequisite to deliver on the Government’s Mission for Growth, but it is also a good use of public money given that, on average, ￡5 of property damage is avoided for every ￡1 invested in flood protection. The Government must put flood risk management at the heart of its housebuilding programme to ensure that new communities are spared the misery and cost of future flooding.???

By Rob Allen