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Property Development: Floods

Question for Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

UIN 20551, tabled on 25 February 2020

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of planning applications were objected to by the Environment Agency because of flood risk concerns since 2009.

Answered on

2 March 2020

As a statutory consultee in development planning, the Environment Agency (EA) comments on all development proposals (other than minor development) in areas that are at (i) medium or high risk of flooding from rivers or the sea, (ii) within 20 metres of a Main River, (iii) within an area with critical drainage problems. The EA does not make the final decision on local planning approvals. Local planning authorities are responsible and accountable for approving proposals for new development in their local areas. In the majority of cases the EA’s flood risk advice is taken on board by local planning authorities.

Between 2009 and 2018, the EA initially objected to approximately 30% of planning applications where it was a statutory consultee on flood risk matters. However, by working with the local planning authorities and developers to gather additional information, or make modifications to the initial development proposals, the vast majority of these objections were overcome.

The EA, in working with communities, developers and planning authorities, ensures that necessary development in flood risk areas is designed to be safe and resilient to flooding, and does not increase risk to others. The success of the EA’s role is demonstrated in the reporting figures with over 99% of new homes in planning applications being made in line with our advice, and in 2018/19, over 95% of all planning applications (where flood risk was considered) were made in line with EA advice, where we were made aware of the planning decision.

Year

Planning decision in line with EA advice

Planning applications involving new homes decided in line with EA advice on flood risk

2018/19

95%

99%

2017/18

95%

99%

2016/17

96%

99%

2015/16

97%

99%

2014/15

96%

98%

2013/14

97%

99%

2012/13

95%

99%

2011/12

96%

99%

2010/11

97%

No data

2009/10

96%

No data

The EA publishes a comprehensive list of all applications where we’ve lodged objections on flood risk grounds. This can be seen at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/environment-agency-objections-to-planning-on-the-basis-of-flood-risk. Many of the issues will have been resolved before a final decision was made.

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