Bill to protect housing from surface flooding: Is it misguided?

Last Updated: April 25, 2016By
Surface flooding is a growing problem in the UK, with new houses adding pressure to drainage systems [Image: Aamuel Wordley/Alamy].

Surface flooding is a growing problem in the UK, with new houses adding pressure to drainage systems [Image: Aamuel Wordley/Alamy].

New houses certainly need adequate drainage and sewer systems, and overloading the current network – as the Tories seem to want – is a mean-spirited idea for which people other than the Conservative Government would pay the cost.

But isn’t there another aspect to flooding that needs to be addressed?

Where’s the initiative to put better – natural – drainage systems along our riversides to absorb extra water and keep it from reaching our houses?

As far as This Writer can tell, it only requires a little landscaping and the planting of a few of the right trees in the right places.

Moves to protect more households from the threats of surface flooding and sewer overload will be debated in parliament on Monday, with the government facing possible defeat in a key vote.

Surface flooding is a growing problem, with at least 20,000 sewer overflows occurring in the UK a year. It is caused by the overloading of Britain’s antiquated sewer and drainage networks, and the concreting over of large swaths of land which leaves water with nowhere to be absorbed.

With the government promising hundreds of thousands of new houses in the next few years, this problem is likely to accelerate. At present, housing developers are able to connect new homes to existing sewage and water networks without having to upgrade them, which puts new houses and nearby existing ones at the threat of overload and flooding, and the unpleasant effects that come from sewage outflows.

An amendment to the housing and planning bill, to be discussed in the Lords on Monday, would remove this right and require builders to use “sustainable drainage systems”, which can include incorporating vegetation and other features to allow water to be naturally absorbed.

The government opposes the amendment, but a cross-party group of peers may muster enough votes from rebel Tories to defeat ministers.

Source: MPs to debate planning bill to protect UK homes from surface flooding | Environment | The Guardian

Join the Vox Political Facebook page.

If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!

Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(
but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:

Donate Button with Credit Cards

Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.

Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:

HWG PrintHWG eBook

The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:

SWAHTprint SWAHTeBook

latest video

news via inbox

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

3 Comments

  1. mrmarcpc April 25, 2016 at 3:44 pm - Reply

    Known the tories, yes!

  2. untoldlies April 27, 2016 at 10:25 am - Reply

    They will try anything to increase property values so they can borrow against them for HS2 and Crossrail infrastruture projects appeasing the UNIONS so they approve of the additional labour whilst at the same time increasing land values in surrounding areas and upping development costs where land will probably end up being 70% of the cost of development in the near future.Who will fund these developments? What stealth taxes on ordinary people will be put into place? Will money end up being taken directly from their pay packets or will they be a multitude of Tolls to fund area ‘improvements’ which only benefit rich investors? Will a minimum wage and zero working hours and conditions be required given over inflated land costs for these infrastructure projects?They will encourage land banking by middle person buyers in rural areas falling under road/rail improvement schemes. Property prices in Cities will be sky high and affordable house building will be negligible once they sell off the land registry and its information to their mates again so they can build more tax haven property investments closer to home. The biggest Tax haven of all will be in London properties.

    • Mike Sivier April 28, 2016 at 12:36 pm - Reply

      Appeasing the unions? I don’t get that at all. Why bring them into a comment about Tory exploitation?

Leave A Comment