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 the potential merits of ending housing developers right to connect to the sewer system; and if he will make a statement.

On 26 August, the Government announced its intention to undertake a review of the case for implementing in England Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 concerning sustainable drainage. This review will look at the benefits and impacts of implementation as well as alternative methods for ensuring that sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) are incorporated in future developments. The review will engage with a range of stakeholders, and inform future policy decisions on this issue.

As well as the Schedule providing for statutory build standards for SuDS on new developments, it would also make the ‘right to connect’ surface water to foul sewer conditional on local planning approval of the developer’s proposed drainage system.