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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department has taken with the Department for Communities and Local Government to ensure that local authorities take account of flooding issues when producing their local development plans.

The Departments work together closely to ensure flood risk is an important consideration in the planning system. Local planning authorities must have regard to the National Planning Policy Framework when preparing Local Plans. The Framework sets out strict tests to protect people and property from flooding which all local planning authorities are expected to follow. The Framework is clear that Local Plans should be supported by a Strategic Flood Risk Assessment and take account of flooding advice from the Environment Agency and Lead Local Flood Authorities.

Local Plans are examined by a planning inspector who will assess whether a plan is sound, including whether it is consistent with national planning policy. A local authority can only adopt a Local Plan that has been found sound.