09 May 2008
The government and public agencies were unprepared for last year's floods because they ignored the threat of surface water flooding, which was largely responsible for the disaster, MPs have found.
In a report published on May 7, the Commons environment, food and rural affairs select committee said the government had focused 'almost exclusively' on the dangers of river and coastal flooding. Surface water flood risk management was in an 'unclear and chaotic state'.
'No organisation currently has responsibility for surface water flooding, at either the national or local level. This lack of responsibility must be addressed by government,' the report, Flooding, says.
The MPs also called for a reassessment of the funding for flood protection in the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review.
'Ministers have repeatedly used the £800m allocation in 2010/11 to convey the impression that this large amount of money will enable government, and others, to respond effectively to the challenges posed by the summer's floods,' the report says. But a breakdown of CSR funding showed it 'looks inadequate to cope' with flood risks, the MPs found.
Ministers must also make clear how they intend to fund the recommendations of Sir Michael Pitt's forthcoming report on the floods if these are costed at more than the £34.5m currently set aside.
Committee chair Michael Jack said: 'Our report has shown how confused and chaotic was the infrastructure when it came to preventing and dealing with surface water flooding.'
He warned: 'The government will not be easily forgiven if their response to last summer's events is not seen as comprehensive and well-funded.'
The MPs urged that local authorities be given statutory responsibility for surface water drainage and should also control sustainable drainage systems, with the Environment Agency taking a national strategic role.
Council leaders responded by calling for water companies to be forced to co-operate with local authorities, sharing information on drainage systems and helping to prepare food prevention plans.
Paul Bettison, chair of the Local Government Association's environment board, said the current system was 'fundamentally flawed'. There should be 'no opt-out, no excuses and clear penalties for anybody who refuses to co-operate with managing our water systems' he added.
The Royal Town Planning Institute warned that flood protection measures could be held up by the slow passage of the Planning Bill. Policy director Rynd Smith, said: [The committee's] recommendation to promote the use of sustainable drainage systems to mitigate flood risk is welcome but the vehicle it has chosen to drive this agenda forward is in danger of stalling.'
The report came a day after local government minister John Healey announced that £31m from the European Union would be allocated to help flood-hit communities.
Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said the government was already taking action to improve readiness for another major flood. Changes to the planning laws would make it more difficult for homeowners to 'concrete over' their front gardens – which he said was one of the causes of surface water flooding.
'What we need to sort out – what we had already recognised – is clarity of responsibility for making sure that the bits of the surface water drainage system fit together,' he said.
And the Environment Agency had been given 'overall responsibility' for dealing with flooding and there was now a 'single chain of command'.
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