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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to promote sustainable drainage in new house building.

Planning policy expects that Sustainable Drainage Systems are to be provided in all major new developments (e.g. 10 dwellings or more), unless demonstrated to be inappropriate. This is in addition to existing policy that expects developments (both major or minor) in flood risk areas to give priority to the use of Sustainable Drainage Systems.

My Department, in collaboration with Defra, are currently undertaking a targeted review of national and local planning policy on Sustainable Drainage Systems to gauge the extent to which they have been successful in encouraging take-up of such drainage systems in new development.