Majority of councils lack expertise to deal with flood risk

Only 12 per cent of local authorities strongly agree that they have the skills and expertise to take account of flood risk now and in the future in planning decisions.

A new survey from the Town & Country Planning Association (TCPA), based on a sample of 65 local authorities in the UK, shows that local authorities have a critical shortage of skills and expertise in relation to planning for climate change. This is despite more than 60 per cent of councils declaring climate emergencies in the last 18 months.

The TCPA says that only two per cent of local authorities are considering future insurance availability and affordability when making planning decisions, and only a third of local authorities are seriously considering the impacts of climate change when deciding whether to grant planning permission. This highlights the need for more support and resources, with the top two resources that local authorities need to enable them to better incorporate the impacts of climate change in planning decisions being more information regarding the expected impacts of climate change in the local area; and knowledge of how to incorporate climate projections into planning decisions.

Hugh Ellis, director of Policy at the Town and Country Planning Association, said: “We know that the greatest challenge for many local planning authorities is a critical lack of resources. If we really want to drive effective change, we need to provide decision-makers with clear policy priorities, transparent methodologies, and, wherever possible, nationally agreed standards.”

Katherine Greig, Senior Transition Specialist at Flood Re, commented: “We are concerned about the impact that climate change and local authority planning processes could have on future flood risk. Higher sea levels, more frequent heavy downpours and increased surface water runoff must be properly considered in the planning phase of all new homes. Local Authorities need to be planning for resilient houses in resilient places so that homes remain safe and insurance remains affordable now and into the future. That is why Flood Re is pleased to be partnering with the Town and Country Planning Association to deliver later this year a series of workshops and online resources for local authorities on planning for climate change.”