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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of town centre redevelopment on flooding in Shrewsbury.

Works to Smithfield Riverside, Station and Northern Corridor do need to consider issues of surface water management and flooding being located close to the River Severn and is an ongoing observation many consultees make. As a proactive response, and to help mitigate these concerns Shropshire Council is working with the Environment Agency alongside other local authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships and water companies through the River Severn Partnership.

The National Planning Policy Framework 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.