The lack of a clear government policy is holding up 'natural' methods of flood management, according to campaigners.
Engineering Nature’s Way says the lack of a framework for the maintenance and performance of 'sustainable drainage systems' (SuDS) is seen by professionals as a barrier to their effective delivery and adoption.
The group's survey revealed that four in five respondents working with SuDS believed the UK government was not fully committed to the long-term delivery of a sustainable flood defence.
Nearly three quarters said it had not committed sufficient funds for satisfactory flood resilience, while more than two thirds believed uncertainty around the maintenance and through-life performance of SuDS components was 'presenting barriers to adoption'.
Phil Collins, European sales director of water management company Hydro International, said: 'Strong concerns were expressed about the lack of a clear national framework for maintenance and adoption, together with uncertainty over which authorities or organisations should be liable for SuDS components over their lifecycle.
'Comments suggested a lack of confidence amongst some authorities about taking over ownership of SuDS from developers.'