Government signals new flooding control powers for councils

Local authorities will be given new powers and responsibilities over surface water flooding in their areas which will include the preparation of surface water development plans, the Government has announced.

Environment minister Phil Woolas confirmed this move in a keynote speech at a flooding conference held in London. He made it clear that new legislation would be needed which will emerge next year (2009) in the promised draft Floods and Water Bill.

He said such plans would "help local authorities to make sure that the necessary maintenance is being carried out by the right owner, in the right place, so that any potential flood area is better protected....we are exploring how we can properly enforce this".

The minister said a pilot project involving the catchment of the river Hogsmill on the border between Kingston and Epsom and Ewell Councils on the southern flank of London had shown that the flood risk to new development could be reduced by half because new housing could be earmarked "for areas with fewer surface water drainage problems".

The Government’s proposals surfaced as the insurance industry warned that the half a million homes currently known to be at significant risk of flooding could become uninsurable.

The Association of British Insurers said that "unless there is an overhaul of how flood risk is managed, insurers will find it increasingly difficult to offer flood cover in parts of the UK".

The ABI has just published opinion research which indicated that three quarters of those polled think not enough is being done to tackle the flooding problem. Improving drainage systems was regarded as top priority by those questioned in the survey, followed by tougher planning controls for new homes.

A Communities and Local Government spokesman said: "If councils properly use the tough new planning rules we have put in place to protect new homes against flood risk, which includes consulting the Environment Agency, it will ensure that all homes are safe from flooding and sustainable for the future - effective surface water drainage and flood defences must also be part of new housing infrastructure."

Speaking at the ABI Conference on Wednesday, floods recovery minister John Healey said that thanks to the combined efforts of councils, housing associations, insurers and Government the pace of progress in getting people back home following last summer’s floods was picking up.

He added: "The floods were a wake up call to us all. Government has already accepted all of Sir Michael Pitt’s urgent interim recommendations and will respond fully to his final report due shortly. I know that the insurance industry is also committed to learn lessons."

Read the Defra news release on the draft Floods and Water Bill.

Read the Association of British Insurers news release.

Roger Milne

19 June 2008