EFRA call for stronger sustainable drainage policies to help cut flood risk 

EFRA 26 April 2017   In its report, the Environment Food, and Rural Affairs Committee criticises the Government’s sub-standard sustainable drainage (SuDS) approaches:

• Read the report summary
• Read the conclusions and recommendations
• Read the full report: Post-legislative scrutiny: Flood and Water Management Act 2010

The “Post-legislative scrutiny: Flood and Water Management Act 2010” report highlights deficiencies in implementation of the Act. It condemns the resulting weak SuDS policies which fail to protect communities from flood risk and miss opportunities to enhance the amenity and environment of local communities.

Chair’s comment

Environment Food, and Rural Affairs Committee Chair, Neil Parish MP said:

“Plans to deliver some one million new homes by 2020 must be achieved without increasing flooding. Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) are an essential part of the solution as they provide a cost-effective, green method of removing surface water from built-up areas. The Government purports to support SuDS but has not commenced provisions to set up a robust policy framework to promote their use. Instead it has adopted sub-standard planning policies which have led to far too few schemes, many of which are of low quality, being installed in new developments. Significant improvements in the numbers and quality of SuDS schemes installed must be delivered by the end of 2018. We urge our successor Committee to consider calling for the full commencement of SuDS provisions in the 2010 Act if this is not achieved. 

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