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Councils call for mandatory anti-flood measures in new builds

Flood damage could be easier to recover from if the government made it mandatory for new homes to be built with anti-flood measures, the LGA has said.

Councils said that following the devastation caused to homes and communities by last winter’s floods it should be compulsory for developers to build new homes with measures including raised electrical sockets, fuse boxes, controls and wiring above floor level, ventilation brick covers, sealed floors, and raised damp-proof courses.

Flooding in Britain is likely to get worse as a result of increasing extreme weather unless more is done to tackle climate change.

Cllr Martin Tett, the LGA’s environment spokesperson, said: “These simple and straightforward steps could in the long-term save thousands of homes and businesses from some of the catastrophic damage and trauma which we saw this winter.”

The LGA also said the flood defence funding promised in the last budget should be devolved to local councils, to allow them to develop defences that best meet local needs, and that councils should be allowed to keep landfill tax to pay for local development projects.

This year PSE has run articles by Paul Sayers, senior fellow at the Environmental Change Institute, and Dr Andy Johnson, chief operating officer at the Local Government Information Unit, on how to build a flood resilient society.

(Image c. Owen Humphreys from PA Images)