Adam Dance: New homes must be planned better to avoid floods

For some, it has meant damage to homes, disrupted travel and days of uncertainty.

For others, it has been the familiar anxiety that returns every time heavy rain is forecast.

Flooding does not just damage property.

It takes a deep emotional toll on families and communities.

When people ask why flooding feels worse and more frequent, they are right to question how and where new homes have been built.

For years, residents have warned that too much development has been allowed on green spaces and floodplains.

I share those concerns.

Under the previous Conservative government, major changes were made to the planning system through the ‘Build, Build, Build’ reforms.

These changes made it far harder for local councils to refuse unsuitable developments, because the risk of costly legal challenges was pushed onto already stretched local authorities.

Councils simply do not have the deep pockets needed to fight repeated appeals from developers.

That same government was warned that its flood strategy did not go far enough and failed to stop new homes being built on land at the highest risk of flooding.

The consequences of those decisions are being felt right now by families dealing with flooded roads, homes and fields.

As a former chair of a planning committee, I have seen first-hand how broken this system is.

I have seen developments approved that have clearly increased flood risk for nearby communities.

Once concrete is poured and land is built over, the damage cannot simply be undone.

The evidence is deeply worrying.

Analysis by Aviva shows that one in 13 new homes built in England over the last decade are in flood risk areas.

That is the equivalent of nearly 110,000 homes.

Almost one in five people living in new builds say they are worried their home is in the wrong place because of flooding.

We do need new homes, particularly affordable homes for local people.

But homes must be built in the right places, with proper drainage, flood protections and respect for the environment.

Flooding in the South West is being made worse by climate change, and that means the government must act.

We need serious long-term investment in flood prevention, river management and resilient infrastructure in our region.

The South West must no longer be treated as an afterthought.

I will continue to push in Parliament for planning reform that puts communities first, and for the investment our area needs to protect families now and in the future.