Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support local authorities to bring forward brownfield land for housing development in areas where flooding presents a significant barrier to delivery.

The National Planning Policy Framework expects proposals for homes and other identified needs to be approved where they would use suitable brownfield land, unless substantial harm would be caused.

At the same time, the Framework recognises the importance of minimising the risk of flooding, and so it steers development away from areas of relatively high flood risk, while recognising that some land where significant flood risk exists will be unsuitable for housing.

Where development is, exceptionally, found to be justified in areas at risk of flooding, the Framework requires that it be appropriately flood resistant and resilient, and safe for its lifetime.

This may apply to some brownfield land but would need to be considered on a site-by-site basis taking into consideration information on flood risk and opportunities for mitigation and ensuring safety.