Can we build enough new houses without risking further floods?
8 December 2015
The Select Committee on National Policy for the Built Environment holds two evidence sessions. The first focuses on how to secure resilient new development in the face of flood risk, and how national policymakers can help to protect existing buildings from serious flooding. The second session discusses design standards in the built environment, and the need for a chief built environment advisor.
Witnesses
Thursday 10 December, Committee Room 2, Palace of Westminster
At 10.10am:
- Tony Grayling, Director of Sustainable Business and Development at the Environment Agency
- David Wilkes, Honorary Vice-President of Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management
At 11.15am:
- Simon Foxell, appearing on behalf of The Edge, built-environment think tank
- Barry Sellers, appearing on behalf of Urban Design Group
Possible questions
- How can the need for new housing supply be reconciled with the need to restrict building in high flood risk areas?
- How does environmental policy integrate with other national policy priorities? How might built environment policies be better integrated to improve outcomes?
- Is national policy on Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) effective? What are the challenges associated with delivering SuDS through planning policy and does policy need strengthening?
- Why do design standards in the built environment fall short of objectives? Should there be a stronger unified code for design standards at national level?
- Is the education system for planning and the built environment in need of improvement, and what initiatives could be undertaken to enable this?
Further information
Image: iStockphoto