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Property Development: Floods

Asked by Blake StephensonConservativeMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled Answered 18 March 2025UIN 37390

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the average time was between completion of a development in areas at risk of flooding and installation of flood defences agreed at planning stage since 2019; and how many developments built since 2019 in areas at risk of flooding do not have flood defences required at planning stage completed.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook

The government does not monitor the status of individual planning conditions. Local planning authorities are responsible for ensuring compliance with planning permissions and conditions, including monitoring and taking enforcement action if necessary.

National planning guidance makes clear that where flood risk management infrastructure such as flood defences form part of the strategy for addressing flood risk, strategic and site-specific flood risk assessments should identify how this infrastructure will be operated, funded and maintained.

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