Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Planning: Flood Risk

Monday 7 March 2022 · 4 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministers from the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government engage regularly with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on flood risk issues.
  • The national planning policy framework requires local plans and planning decisions to consider flood risk from all sources, including new developments.
  • The Minister commits to speaking regularly with colleagues in DEFRA to address concerns about inadequate storm drains and flooding in new housing developments.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Ruth Edwards
Housing Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Context

Discussions on reducing flood risks associated with new housing developments through planning processes.

Question

What recent discussions has the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the role of planning processes in reducing flood risks in new housing developments?

Answer from Stuart Andrew

Ministers from our Department engage regularly with those from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on flood risk. That includes the publication of our joint “Review of policy for development in areas at flood risk”, which looked at that very issue, and the updating of the flood risk policies in the national planning policy framework in 2021.

Answered
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Q2 Ruth Edwards
Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Context

Flooding in villages linked to new developments lacking sufficient sewerage and drainage infrastructure.

Question

Much of the flooding in villages across Rushcliffe has been linked to new developments built without increasing local sewerage and drainage capacity. How does my right hon. Friend think we can best address that problem through the planning system, to ensure not only that water companies are forced to take new development into account when assessing their infrastructure, but that developers are forced to pay their fair share? If we do not get this right, it will be all our constituents who continue to suffer.

Answer from Stuart Andrew

My hon. Friend is right, and she is a superb advocate for her constituents, having already raised a number of issues with me since I have been in this post. The national planning policy framework is clear that local plans and planning decisions should consider flood risk from all sources, including overwhelmed sewers and drainage systems. Water and sewage companies are statutory consultees for local plans that set out an area's development requirements, and can comment on planning applications. However, she is right that the right infrastructure must be put in place for the developments we see in our country.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not specify concrete actions or commitments to address the specific issue of forcing developers to pay their fair share for increased drainage capacity.

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Q3 Christine Jardine Lib Dem Edinburgh West
Women & Equalities
Context

Presentation of a Bill addressing gender bias in the planning process as part of the levelling-up agenda.

Question

Flooding is undoubtedly an important issue to be taken into account in the planning process, but there are other issues, one of which is the gender bias that exists in planning. I will be presenting a Bill tomorrow to attack that very thing. Are the Government considering as part of the planning in the levelling-up process how to ensure that gender neutrality is at the heart of major development designing?

Answer from Stuart Andrew

There will be a lot of announcements to come in the near future about our plans for planning, but the hon. Lady is right to talk about that whole aspect of it. My hon. Friend the Minister for Levelling Up Communities, the hon. Member for Saffron Walden (Kemi Badenoch) has just assured me that all equality issues are looked at in this area.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not provide specific commitments or actions towards integrating gender neutrality into major development designs, but acknowledges the importance of considering equality issues.

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Q4 Oliver Heald Con
Climate Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Context

Flooding in North East Hertfordshire due to inadequate storm drains and balancing ponds.

Question

We have the same problems in North East Hertfordshire, with towns such as Watton-at-Stone having flooding problems because of many new houses, inadequate storm drains and not enough balancing ponds. Will my right hon. Friend redouble his efforts in talking to DEFRA to ensure that we get better storm drainage for the future?

Answer from Stuart Andrew

My right hon. and learned Friend is right to raise that important issue. As we prepare all developments to ensure that they are tackling climate change, we should also look at the points he raises. I commit to him that I will speak on a regular basis with my colleagues in DEFRA.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not provide specific commitments or timelines for improving storm drainage infrastructure.

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