Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will require local authorities to give greater weight to the risk of local flooding before granting of planning permission for (a) housebuilding and (b) other future developments.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is clear that all sources of flood risk need to be considered, including future flood risk, to ensure that any new development is safe for its lifetime without increasing the risk of flooding elsewhere. The Framework sets out strict tests on flood risk which are in place to protect people and property. Where they are not met, it is clear that local authorities should not be permitting new development.