New Towns: Floods
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether it his Department's policy that the New Towns Taskforce will be able to allocate new towns on areas of functional floodplain.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook
The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 is clear that new housing and most other forms of development should not be permitted in functional flood plains.
National planning policy and guidance expect flood risk assessments to consider all sources of flooding, and to take the most up-to-date information into account, which includes the Environment Agency's NaFRA2 data.
It is for individual decision-makers, including local planning authorities and the Planning Inspectorate, to apply this policy and guidance. Support in doing so is available from various sources, including recent webinars hosted by the Town and Country Planning Association. Additional guidance on interpreting the updated NaFRA2 data is also available through the Environment Agency and sector partners to assist local planning authorities.
The New Towns Programme aims to create environmentally resilient places that support the Government’s net-zero agenda through sustainable design, nature enhancement, low-carbon infrastructure, and responsible development, including flood risk mitigation.
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