Government announces changes to flooding planning guidance

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs have announced improved planning guidance with the aim of helping councils consider future flood risk.

The updated planning guidance aims to help councils ensure developments meets strict criteria in places that are at risk of flooding before they are approved.

Levelling Up Secretary Greg Clark said: “We have all seen how flooding is becoming all too frequent. This new guidance will strengthen councils’ ability to require better flood resilience in new developments.

“Councils will need to demonstrate that the development will be safe from flooding for its lifetime, will not increase flood risk elsewhere, and where possible will reduce flood risk overall.

“This will help make sure our homes and neighbourhoods are built to last for generations to come.”

Floods Minister Steve Double said: “As climate change makes extreme weather events such as flooding more likely, we must do all we can to make sure that people’s homes and businesses are kept safe.

“This guidance will help ensure new developments are designed with flood resilience in mind and do not increase flood risk elsewhere.

“This will build on our record £5.2 billion investment to build around 2,000 flood schemes by 2027 and level-up defences across England.”

The changes to the planning practice guidance developments mean councils will be be better placed to apply government policy, where new homes in areas at risk of flooding, should meet recommended standards on flood resilience.

Local authorities will also be able to access better guidance on how to control surface water run-off, and on how new development can reduce the causes and impacts of flooding through the use of natural flood management techniques.

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