Commons Sense

House of Commons · Adjournment Debate

Flood Prevention: Rainwater Attenuation and Reservoirs

09 March 2020 · 1 other contributor

Opened by Matt Western Lab Warwick and Leamington

Agriculture & Rural Affairs

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Matt Western raised concerns about flood prevention: rainwater attenuation and reservoirs in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.

Key points

  • MP raised concerns about severe weather events leading to flooding, citing issues with building on floodplains and outdated regulations.
  • MP suggested implementing rainwater harvesting systems and improving natural drainage solutions like SuDS.
  • Minister acknowledged flooding issues and committed to ongoing efforts with 5.2 billion allocated for new schemes and property protection.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Matt Western Lab Warwick and Leamington

The MP raised concerns about the increasing frequency of severe weather events leading to flooding, particularly in his constituency. He highlighted issues such as building on floodplains, inadequate planning policies, and outdated building regulations that do not address sustainable water management. He suggested implementing rainwater harvesting systems, improving natural drainage solutions like Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS), and giving the Environment Agency more control over reservoirs to manage flooding better. The MP emphasised the need for a comprehensive strategy involving changes in legislation and incentives for landowners to adopt flood mitigation measures.

Other contributors (1)
  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    The hon. Gentleman welcomed Matt Western's speech, agreeing that there needs to be a designated strategy dealing with overflow and suggesting further investigation into the harvesting of rainwater via attenuation ponds on farmland.

Government Response

Rebecca Pow

The Minister acknowledged the severity of flooding issues and committed to ongoing efforts in flood defence measures with £5.2 billion allocated for new schemes and property protection. She highlighted current initiatives involving sustainable urban drainage systems, rainwater harvesting, and reservoir management trials. The Environment Agency is exploring opportunities to use water company reservoirs for multiple benefits such as flood risk mitigation while ensuring no compromise on water supply safety and environmental considerations. Minister proposed a meeting with the MP and colleagues to discuss further details and future collaborations.

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