Floods legislation promised by ministers

The Government has confirmed measures to improve the way flood risk is handled by announcing a Flood and Water Management Bill in the next Parliamentary session. This legislative commitment was highlighted in the Queen’s Speech to Parliament.

Central to the promised legislation, which will be progressed by the Department for the Environment and Rural Affairs, will be moves to clearly define responsibilities for managing all flood risks. 

For the first time local authorities would have legal responsibility for surface water flooding, under these proposals.

Other measures would mean that Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDs) would have to be considered for new developments to help prevent surface run-off overloading the sewer system.

Major property developers have welcomed the legislative proposals but voiced reservations about the drive towards SUDs. 

The British Property Federation has warned that issues over viability could make development and house building more costly if such measures are “demanded inappropriately”.

It has argued that in dense urban areas like central London it would be impossible to build a large pond to drain water. “In many places SUDs would be too costly and push up the price of homes,” it has argued.

Councils across England and Wales say that new flooding laws are good news but have warned that the new powers will create a funding black hole.

Councillor Gary Porter, chairman of the Local Government Association’s Environment Board, said: “Town halls are looking forward to being able to improve local flood management but it should be clear that they will have the funding they need to properly protect people’s homes.”

The LGA has also urged the Government to take urgent action to ensure councils can get the expert engineers, inspectors and planners they need to manage local drainage systems. 

Read the Queen’s speech in full

Read the Local Government Association’s response

 

Roger Milne

19 November 2009