Localis report urges government departments to work together to fulfill promises made in opposition to improve flood defenses and boost planning resilience. The report, entitled “Plain Dealing Revisited – planning for flood resilience”, was published today by the independent think-tank and highlights the need for coordination between environment and housing ministers.
According to the report, the demand for housing and pressure on local authorities has led to the continued development in floodplain areas. In their research, Localis examined the planning portals of the 12 English council areas with the highest percentage of properties at risk of flooding in the first half of 2024. They found that 7,116 new dwellings were in the planning pipeline, of which 1,006 were new permissions for 2024.
The report also highlighted that in these high-risk flood areas, 2,389 new dwellings were granted planning permission on previously developed land or as a result of change-of-use applications. This is concerning as there are currently no laws against granting planning permission for and constructing homes in areas at high risk of flooding. The Environment Agency reported 267 instances in the year 2022-23 where homes were granted planning permission against their advice on flood risk.
To address this issue, Localis recommends that the recently established Flood Resilience Taskforce, led by new environment secretary Steve Reed, should not only focus on providing new defenses but also review existing schemes and the implementation of resilience measures in the planning system. They also call for an increase in the Environment Agency’s capacity to maintain flood defense assets and enforce planning regulations.
Housing secretary Angela Rayner is urged to use the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and the revised National Planning Policy Framework to consolidate and reinforce planning resilience measures. Localis chief executive Jonathan Werran said, “Twin government objectives of delivering up to 370,000 new homes a year and enhancing our resilience against flood risk are not of themselves incompatible missions, but will require tightening up and harmonizing of policy levers.”
The report’s lead clean growth researcher, Sandy Forsyth, added, “As long as new planning consents are being given to homes in flood zones on undeveloped land, people and communities will continue to see compounding risks.” The report calls for a change in rules to prevent development in high-risk flood areas and ensure that new homes are more resilient to floods.
Caroline Johnson, claims director of personal lines insurance at Allianz UK, expressed concern over the high number of homes being granted planning permission in these areas. She emphasized the importance of national and local planners and developers working together to prevent unnecessary development in high-risk flood areas and ensure that new homes are resilient to floods.
For media inquiries, please contact Jonathan Werran, chief executive of Localis at 0870 448 1530 or jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk. An advance copy of the report is available for download on the Localis website.
About Localis:
Localis is an independent think-tank dedicated to issues related to politics, public service reform, and localism. They conduct innovative research, hold events, and facilitate a growing network of members to stimulate and challenge the current governance of the UK.
About Allianz:
The Allianz Group is one of the world’s leading insurers and asset managers, with around 125 million private and corporate customers in nearly 70 countries. They provide a broad range of personal and corporate insurance services, from property, life, and health insurance to assistance services and global business insurance. Allianz is also one of the world’s largest investors, managing around 741 billion euros on behalf of its insurance customers. In 2023, over 157,000 employees achieved a total business volume of 161.7 billion euros and an operating profit of 14.7 billion euros for the group.
Key Recommendations from the Report:
– The Flood Resilience Taskforce should be given an expanded remit to examine the current state of existing flood defenses, improve public information and review the effectiveness of resilience measures in the planning system.
– The Minister for Water and Flooding should be given a joint brief covering Defra and MHCLG, with the responsibility of overseeing the taskforce and implementing its recommendations.
– The Environment Agency must have its capacity greatly improved to ensure the maintenance of flood defense assets and enforce regulations in planning.
– The Taskforce must work to improve the availability and accessibility of data on floodplain development.
– A live system providing responsive flood-risk category certification for new buildings should be developed to increase risk awareness among homeowners and occupiers.
– The Planning and Infrastructure Bill and the revised National Planning Policy Framework present an opportunity to consolidate and reinforce planning resilience measures.
– The sequential test for floodplain development must be made law to ensure that new development takes place in the most appropriate places for national flood resilience.
– Lead local authorities should be consulted by law on all developments of more than two dwellings on floodplain land.
– The Flood
