The Government does not know if it is making the UK more resilient to flooding. In a new report, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) warns that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has no overall numerical target for the UK’s level of long-term flood resilience, and so cannot know if it is […]
Defra has announced that biodiversity net gain will go live on 12 February 2024. From this date major development (unless otherwise exempt) will have to deliver net gains for biodiversity leading to positive outcomes for nature, better places for local communities and more consistent and transparent requirements for developers. Which types of development will BNG apply […]
Defra has announced that 100% of storm overflows across the water network in England have now been fitted with Event Duration Monitors (EDMs), meeting the ambitious target set by the government to do so by the end of 2023. Event Duration Monitors increase transparency by measuring how, when and for how long a storm overflow […]
The National Audit Office has published a new report looking at how well-prepared the country is for future extreme weather events. The report sets out how central government coordinates, leads, supports and assures local activity, but does not cover local responses, such as local response plans. It also does not cover arrangements in the devolved […]
The government has said that a pilot project to replace gas with hydrogen in home heating in the village of Redcar in Yorkshire, will not go ahead as there is not enough adequate low carbon hydrogen available. The “hydrogen village” scheme had been expected to start in 2025, but the decision followed months of protests […]
Defra and the Environment Agency have published new guidance on when to use hydrological and hydraulic modelling as part of a flood risk assessment for a planning application, and the expected standards. It includes modelling standards, information needs, methodologies, climate change allowances, impact on off-site flood risk, quality assurance, uncertainty, reporting and more.
The Scottish Government has opened a consultation, seeking views on its proposed principles and considerations in developing policy for the future of the water industry in Scotland in response to the climate emergency.
Suffolk Coastal MP Therese Coffey has quit as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. In a letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak this week, she said that “now is the right time to step back from government”. Former insurance company solicitor Steve Barclay is the new Environment Secretary, becoming the fourth postholder […]