Smarter ways of building homes are also needed, MPs say

flood

The government has been ‘too slow’ to push through changes to protect the UK from flooding, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee said.

Committee chairwoman and conservative MP Anne McIntosh said: “The government has been too slow to implement changes that would protect homes and businesses from the shattering effects of flooding.”

MPs also said that developers are still being allowed to build hard surfaces in a way that creates surface flooding. Also, better rules are needed so developers are obliged to build in a way that allows water to soak into the ground.

The call for action will put pressure on the government to find a solution to the protecting the country from flooding. The Statement of Principles, an agreement by which the government will continue to spend money on flood defences in return for insurers covering homes in flood-risk areas, is set to expire in June.