Development on, or affecting, the floodplain : second report [session 2000-01], Vol. 1: Report and proceedings of the Committee

This is the report of a brief inquiry following the recent flooding and increasing concern about the consequence of development affecting the flood plain.

The report concludes that the issues relating to flooding are important and likely to become more important as climate change threatens to make flooding a more common occurrence.

The cost of providing flood protection will be substantial and will continue to rise.

The report advocates changes to the planning system and to agriculture and advises that these changes be made as a matter of urgency.

The report considers that Planning Policy Guidance (PPG) should be significantly strengthened and supports the proposal by the Minister that building on the functional flood plain should be avoided.

The report urges that a final version of the PPG should be issued with dispatch.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is condemned for delaying for 15 years the implementation of the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive requiring farmers to consider the environmental impact of a change in land use.