Policy change needed to allow faster development of flood defences

According to a new research paper published by Fathom, the UK will only be able to mitigate the increasing flood risk by adhering to all COP 26 and net zero emission reduction pledges in full. With six of the wettest years on record having occurred since 1998 having taken place, partner Sarah Clark calls for a policy change, in an article for New Civil Engineer.

‘…when it comes to securing consents for new defences the process can be unnecessarily complex, costly and slow. The legal and policy frameworks developed in recent years to support efficient and economic delivery of UK infrastructure have largely overlooked this important area. The Planning Act 2008, introduced to accelerate nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs), makes no mention of new flood defences – despite listing 18 different categories of NSIP.

The full article is available to read on the New Civil Engineer website.