‘Dysfunction’ in the English planning system is leaving new housing development vulnerable to flood risks, according to a report published today.
Research by the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) found that the current planning system is failing to secure long-term resilience in the face of the climate emergency.
The TCPA said the evidence used to make planning decisions on flood risk was often out of date and difficult to access, and said urgent action was needed to improve the quality of data.
The association also called for a more robust regulatory system, and said regulation was currently ‘hindered by institutional complexity and a complicated division of roles and responsibilities’.
Senior projects and policy manager Celia Davis said: ‘The planning system should play a vital role in delivering flood resilient new development.
‘However, our research reveals that it is failing to deliver safe developments due to procedural issues, which are borne out within a malfunctional system.
‘Fundamental change is needed to secure a regulatory regime that keeps communities safe from the increasing risk of flooding for the long-term.’
