Local Govt Assoc: Flood defences should be mandatory for at-risk buildings

  • Flooding
Local councils want at-risk buildings to have compulsory flood-proofing measures. Credit: Ben Birchall / PA Wire/PA Images

All new buildings constructed in areas that are prone to flooding should be built with mandatory defences, according to the Local Government Association (LGA).

The LGA, which represents more than 370 councils in England and Wales, is calling for compulsory anti-flood requirements to be put in place for new homes and businesses.

The proposals for new buildings at risk of flooding include raised electrical sockets, fuse boxes, controls and wiring above floor level, ventilation brick covers, sealed floors and raised damp-proof courses.

Thousands of building were devastated by storms Desmond, Eva and Frank last winter. Credit: Owen Humphreys / PA Wire/PA Images

The Government will invest £2.3 billion in flood defences in the next six years but does not support mandatory measures.

A Department of Communities and Local Government spokesman said: "Since 2004 statutory Building Regulations guidance has promoted the use of flood resilient construction, and councils can insist on a host of measures to protect new homes against flooding when granting planning permission.

"We will continue to work closely with the industry to see what else can be done to improve flood resilience, but are clear that wrapping the industry in red tape is not the way to build the homes that this country desperately needs."

The LGA is also calling for landfill tax paid on household items damaged by flooding to be handed back to councils to be spent on defences.

It estimates more than 1.5 tonnes of waste had to be removed from each of the 21,000 homes and businesses devastated by the storms last year.