With flooding becoming more frequent, why doesn’t the government act?

We’re in the midst of another winter comprising short bursts of torrential rain, flash flooding, rising water levels and mounting repair and insurance costs. With urbanisation increasingly replacing our green spaces, the changing nature of our landscape has become an indisputable factor in this susceptibility to flooding. So as our country’s skyline continues to change and flooding remains a real risk, Andrew Gill, marketing manager at Brett Landscaping, asks is it right to make the installation of SuDs a choice rather than a prerequisite?

While there is a lot of talk around the most recent floods, sympathy for those affected and promises of future protection, the action required to fulfil these promises seems less abundant. Defences installed following previous floods have failed and while the government has promised to plough more money into bigger barricades – which often only relocate the problem downstream – surely it is now time to seek a more strategic, long-term solution rather than repeating often ineffective “knee-jerk” reactions.

Nobody can dispute the role of rain in causing these floods, but the continued urbanisation of the country is most definitely also a significant contribution – and one which is all too often overlooked in the aftermath of localised flooding. Given that today the rate at which new houses are being built shows no signs of slowing, there can be no doubt that the problem will only increase unless we change our fundamental approach to surface water management. One solution to help reduce the risk of flooding would be to make the implementation of sustainable drainage solutions (SuDs) mandatory in any new development – as is the case with energy reduction measures.

SuDs allow surface water to be managed in a way which replicates natural run-off patterns on a greenfield site. This crucial attenuation process prevents excess surface water overwhelming our urban drainage systems and can be created using a range of technologies such as swales, permeable paving and flood basins. However, to be a true SuDs solution the system must fulfil three basic requirements:

  • Surface water attenuation
  • Improvement of water quality
  • Enhancement of amenity

It could be argued that one of the best ways to achieve these goals is through the use of permeable paving, which allows surface water to drain between the individual blocks and be held in the sub-base from where it can then be slowly released. This process significantly reduces surface water run-off, has been proven to reduce pollution loads entering watercourses and helps provide an attractive, low maintenance surface – with no significant “land take” for developers.

However, at the time of this article being written, the approach from the government still fails to be definitive – sticking instead with phrases such as ‘where reasonably practicable’ rather than the ‘must and will’ wording which is typically used when it comes to energy reduction.

An apathetic approach

A DCLG (Department for Communities and Local Government) ministerial statement, first issued in December 2014, now sits alongside the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) as an additional policy stating “the government’s expectations…that sustainable drainage systems will be provided in new developments wherever this is appropriate.” The inclusion of statements such as “the government’s expectations” and “wherever …appropriate” simply reinforce the Government’s apathy towards the situation.

The approach towards homeowners is just the same. Legislation passed in 2008 states that a homeowner “will not need planning permission if a new or replacement driveway of any size uses permeable (or porous) surfacing such as gravel, permeable concrete block paving or porous asphalt”. Despite recognising the need for SuDs, the enforcement and promotion of this requirement has been virtually non-existent. However, there are now starting to be instances where, in the conveyancing process of a house sale, the issue of an impermeable driveway installed post-2008 has caused significant problems, with home owners having to re-lay drives or seek retrospective planning approval before any house sale can proceed.

Counting the cost

Interestingly, the cost of investing in such solutions is being cited as one of the reasons the government is holding back on making the installation of SuDs mandatory throughout the UK. However, according to experts at PricewaterhouseCoopers, the cost of last December’s ‘Storm Desmond’ may rise to the tune of £500 million, double the cost of the serious storms the UK saw in 2009.

Which begs the question: Is saving on initial outlays by not making installation of SuDs compulsory, simply robbing Peter to pay Paul? With news covering December and January’s incessant downpours highlighting the extensive emotional and financial damage flooding can cause, not to mention the hardship faced by homeowners who, post flood, may not be able to insure or sell their properties in the future, wouldn’t money invested in long term prevention be better than cash thrown at a short-term cure?

Cumbria is a prime example what could easily happen (and in some cases has already happened) in other areas of the UK, with Prime Minister David Cameron saying that flood defences in the area “were not enough”. He has commented that the government will fully reimburse councils the cost of dealing with the flooding and ministers will review all flood defence plans going forward. Such actions all have significant financial implications.

Assertive approach the only way forward

Many believe a more assertive approach is required, such as the government’s response to the increase in global warming. Since the early 2000’s, the government has insisted that all developers continually increase the thickness of insulation in new homes via changes to the Building Regulations. This has significantly reduced the heat loss from new homes and cut both our heating bills as well as our carbon footprint in the process. This all tracks back to the definitive legislation surrounding the reduction of carbon footprints for developers. In turn this is reinforced by far more forceful implementation, demanding that emissions are considered during each and every step of constructing a new building. Similarly the existing housing stock is being addressed with many home owners are being entitled to free insulation, all to help lower our energy usage.

With government plans to directly commission the building of 13,000 new homes in the south and an additional £1.2 billion being invested in the creation of 30,000 affordable new homes on brownfield sites across the country over the next five years, surely ensuring that mandatory SuDs are installed by law has never been more important?