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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of homes at risk of coastal flooding, broken down by (1) those built, (2) those under construction, and (3) those with planning permission awaiting construction.

The Environment Agency’s (EA) new national assessment of flood and coastal erosion risk in England report estimates that 2.4 million properties are in areas at risk of flooding from rivers and the sea. The EA also estimates that 4.6 million properties are in areas at risk of surface water flooding.

The number of properties at risk relate to properties that are already built, not properties that are under construction or those awaiting construction. The EA does, however, have a list of planning applications where the EA made an initial objection based on flood risk. This can be found at the gov.uk page ‘Environment Agency objections to planning applications based on flood risk and water quality’.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is clear that inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding should be avoided by directing development away from areas at highest risk, including areas at risk of coastal flooding.

Where development is necessary, and where there are no suitable sites available in areas with a lower risk of flooding, local planning authorities and developers should ensure development is appropriately flood resilient and resistant, safe for its users for the development’s lifetime, will not increase flood risk overall and will provide wider sustainability benefits.