Housing: Flood Control
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring the installation of (a) flood doors, (b) flood barriers and (c) automatic air bricks on new build properties at risk of flooding.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook
The government is committed to building the homes the country needs while ensuring they are safe from flooding.
The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 is clear that development should be directed to areas with the lowest risk of flooding. Where no alternative sites are available, permission should only be granted where it can be demonstrated that it will be safe for its lifetime taking account of the vulnerability of its users, without increasing flood risk elsewhere, and, where possible, will reduce flood risk overall.
The use of property level flood protections, such as flood doors, flood barriers and automatic air bricks, should only be considered as part of a wider package of measures to ensure that the development would be safe for its lifetime.
Building regulations set minimum standards for all new dwellings. Statutory guidance to the Building Regulations in Approved Document C promotes the use of flood resilient and resistant construction in flood prone areas, without placing undue costs onto any properties that do not require further flood resilience measures.
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