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

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to strengthen provisions in planning regulations to make the flood view of land clear, both upstream and downstream, when planning consent is provided to (a) developers and (b) all relevant parties for large-scale developments.

Flood risk is already an important consideration in the planning system and there are strict policy tests to protect people and property from flooding. The National Planning Policy Framework, underpinned by our planning practice guidance, sets out an approach of assessing, avoiding and managing flood risk from all sources. The Framework is clear that inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding should be avoided by directing development away from areas at highest risk. Where development is necessary, it must be demonstrated that it will be safe without increasing flood risk elsewhere.

Where a developer is proposing a development in a flood risk area, or where the development is of one hectare or more, they will need to submit a site-specific flood risk assessment with their planning application. This should identify all flood risks both to and from a development, and demonstrate how these risks will be managed.

Information about the flood risk status of land is readily available in maps produced by the Environment Agency, which can be viewed at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/check-flood-risk