Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of not commencing Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 on sewer capacity and storm overflow discharges.

Pre-pipe drainage and wastewater solutions, such as sustainable drainage systems (SuDS), alleviate pressure on the sewerage system by reducing the volume of rainwater and pollutants entering the system. This approach has benefits for communities, the environment, flood prevention and urban development.

The Government is strongly committed to improving the implementation of SuDS. In December 2024, we made changes to the National Planning Policy Framework to support increased delivery of SuDS.

The Government consulted on a revised National Planning Policy Framework – including for flood risk and SuDS – and, separately, on proposals to increase adoption of shared amenities, with planned guidance to ensure lifetime maintenance.

In June 2025, the Government introduced new national standards for SuDS. Better delivery of SuDS may be achieved by continuing to improve the current planning policy-based approach and looking at ways of improving the approach to adoption and maintenance, rather than commencing Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.