Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support properties being retrofitted with permeable surfaces to reduce flooding risks.

Building Regulations apply when new building work is being undertaken. The options for dealing with rainwater are set out at Schedule 1 Part H of the Building Regulations 2010 which state that paved areas around a building shall be adequately drained and rainwater discharged, according to priority, by either soakaway or other adequate infiltration system. The regulations can be found on gov.uk here. It is the responsibility of the developer to design a rainwater system in a manner appropriate to the site.

In addition, the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) makes clear that applications which could affect drainage should incorporate sustainable drainage systems to control flow rates and reduce volumes of run off. This is supported by Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) on Flood Risk and Coastal Change, which encourages the use of comprehensive sustainable drainage approaches to help alleviate flood risk and manage the impacts where flooding does occur, including by maximising opportunities for infiltration of surface water through replacement of impermeable surfaces with permeable surfaces, and maximising opportunities for planting and vegetated areas in preference to engineered surfaces. National PPG on design highlights that design codes can specify how sustainable drainage systems and permeable surfaces can be incorporated into public space.

Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, the government consulted a new NPPF. The consultation on the revised Framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, included proposals relating to flood risk and sustainable drainage. We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.