Sewers
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 June 2025 to Question 52410 on Sewers, if she will set out the current (a) legal and (b) regulatory framework governing the (i) adoption, (ii) maintenance and (iii) enforcement of sustainable drainage schemes.
Answered by Emma Hardy
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) requires all development to utilise Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) where they could have drainage impacts. These systems should be appropriate to the nature and scale of the proposed development. See paragraphs 181 and 182 of the NPPF.
The current legal and regulatory framework associated with SuDS adoption, maintenance and enforcement is via conditions attached to planning permissions. We intend to consult on National Planning Policy related to decision making later this year, including policies on flood risk and SuDS. The government also recognises the importance of long-term maintenance of SuDS.
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