Lib Dems announce flooding plans

1.48.54pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 12th Feb 2008

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has announced new plans to tackle flooding.

New plans have been announced by the Liberal Democrats to protect Britain from the worst effects of flooding. The Met Office warned recently that severe flooding is due to worsen in the years ahead. High levels of rainfall in Sussex during December and January saw flooding around the local area.

"The government isn't taking the devastating potential of climate change seriously enough," said new Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg. "We need to act now if we're to protect Britain from the flooding that could sweep Britain in years to come. Six months after last year's flooding, the government has still done nothing to tackle the problem. Many areas of Britain are simply left waiting for the next downpour, while Ministers sit twiddling their thumbs.

"We must invest more in our flood defences," argued the Party Leader. "The government must stop building so many new homes in flood risk areas, and help families in high risk homes to get insurance. We need a comprehensive approach to flooding, brought together in a Flooding Act in Parliament to ensure changes are made quickly, and to reassure the thousands of families who are at risk of losing everything."

Local MP Norman Baker, who chairs the All Party Flood Prevention Group in Parliament said: "The government must start taking flood management seriously. This means investing in new flood defences and maintaining existing ones. Otherwise places like Lewes will suffer."

The 10-point plan:

1. Protect Britain - Increase the flood defence budget by £400m over a Parliament to ensure adequate maintenance of existing defences and construction of new ones.

2. Prepare Britain - Make sure that people are aware of flood risk, what to do and how to stay safe in the event of a flood. In flood-risk area, improve public awareness of the importance of buildings and contents insurance.

3. Secure the supply of water and electricity - make sure critical infrastructure providers take action to reduce flood risk, to avoid people having water and electricity supplies cut off. Also ensure that other critical infrastructure such as hospitals, care homes and schools are 'flood-proofed' to minimise disruption to communities.

4. Look after hard-hit families and small businesses - Additional special support for the worst affected areas, so that repairs can be undertaken quickly to key public buildings and social housing, including generous and speedy grants and interest-free loans, for people to rebuild their lives in the worst-hit and poorest areas.

5. Promote joined up thinking under one overall body - Allow the Environment Agency to take strategic responsibility for flood defence management and planning.

6. Tackle building on flood plains - Strengthen existing legislation concerning development in flood plains to ensure that residential, retail, commercial or industrial premises are not built on flood plains or areas of high flooding risk, unless substantial flood management schemes are in place.

7. Implement sustainable solutions - Ensure that all new developments incorporate Sustainable Urban Drainage (SUDS) to reduce urban run-off water which leads to flash flooding.

8. Bring in a Flooding Act - Flooding legislation should be updated and streamlined under single unifying Act addressing all sources of flooding, clarifying responsibilities and focusing on a risk-based approach to managing flooding.

9. Support farmers and rural communities - Scrutinise current policy on weed clearance and dredging so that farmers will not suffer significant losses of livestock and crops again.

10. Get serious on flooding and commit long-term - Establish National Task Forces to create integrated flood management plans, and introduce a rolling 50-year planning horizon for climate change adaptation.