Call for better urban design to tackle flooding

Better urban design and planning is required to tackle flooding in the UK, a group of organisations led by the Town & Country Planning Association and Friends of the Earth have said.

In an open letter prime minister David Cameron to coincide with a government review into the nation’s preparedness for flooding, the Planning and Climate Change Coalition also said there was a link between global climate change and the recent extreme flooding in the UK and called on the government to reverse cuts to the Environment Agency.

Dr Hugh Ellis, TCPA head of policy, said: “In particular, the review should acknowledge the role of good urban design, including along garden city principles, to deal with the challenges of flooding through building resilient high quality, well designed places that provide space for sustainable urban drainage, green infrastructure and enhanced biodiversity without adding cost to development. For example, green roofs can typically absorb around 50 per cent of rooftop runoff.”

Friends of the Earth climate campaigner Guy Shrubsole said: “David Cameron is clearly well aware that flooding is set to increase drastically with climate change, but his government is sitting on its hands.

“By cutting flood defence investment when it needs to grow to keep pace with our changing climate, the Coalition is putting some 250,000 extra households at flood risk needlessly.

“The prime minister must take responsibility for protecting households from worsening flooding by reversing these cuts - and carry out a serious review of whether the country is prepared for climate change.”