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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of (a) trends in levels of (i) flooding and (ii) resulting closure of the B478 from Sonning to Playhatch and (b) the potential impact of climate change on future levels of flooding in that area.

The B478 between Sonning and Playhatch is located on the River Thames floodplain and is subject to frequent flooding. Sonning Quarry is located nearby where Tarmac Group Ltd is extracting minerals and undertaking restoration work.

The Environment Agency is working closely with South Oxfordshire District Council and Oxfordshire County Council to understand how these works, and any subsequent restoration activities, might impact the frequency and severity of flooding. To ensure there is no detrimental impact on local businesses and communities the Environment Agency is working with partners to ensure any works are consistent with national planning policy and an appropriate strategy to manage and mitigate flood risk associated with the works is agreed.

The Environment Agency is always improving it’s understanding of flood risk and shares the best available information with local authorities to influence land use, infrastructure adaptation and potential flood risk mitigations.