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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to help ensure that new planning developments must focus on surface water flooding prevention.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was amended in July 2021 to make clear all sources of flood risk, including surface water, should be considered, to ensure that any new development is safe for its lifetime without increasing the risk of flooding elsewhere.

The NPPF prioritises the use of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) for all development in areas at risk of flooding. The Framework is also clear that SuDS should be incorporated in all major developments, unless there is clear evidence that this would be inappropriate.

Local Plans should be informed by a Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA), which should take account of climate change in levels of flood risk by applying guidance provided by the Environment Agency. The SFRA should inform the strategic identification of land for development in the Local Plan.

In October 2021 the Government commenced a review of the case for implementing Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 concerning SuDS. This will look at the benefits and impacts of implementation as well as alternative methods for ensuring that SuDS are incorporated in future developments. The review is expected to conclude August 2022.

Furthermore, as part of our wider ambitions for an improved planning system we intend to review the NPPF to ensure that it contributes to climate change mitigation and adaption as fully as possible.