Dismay as Government abandons flooding measures

9.47.09am GMT Thu 4th Dec 2008

Party spokesman Chris Huhne MP and local MP Dr Evan Harris experience the flooding in West Street, Osney Island, in July 2007

Liberal Democrats in Oxfordshire were dismayed to find that a bill which had been promised to address flooding issues across the country was removed from yesterday's Queen's Speech, throwing doubt on whether the causes and effects of future flooding could be reduced.

The government had pledged to introduce a bill to implement the findings of the Pitt Review into the devastating floods of 2007, which hit communities across the country and forced hundreds of families out of their homes. The review carried out by Lord Pitt and published in June 2008 made clear that the risk of flooding continues to grow and to threaten more communities. He recommended a series of actions, 80% of which he said would not cost anything to implement.

The draft bill which the government had planned to announce would have included:

· tighter building rules in flood-prone areas

· overall strategic control of flood planning given to the Environment Agency.

· a new responsibility for local authorities to produce local surface water management plans and powers to lead on surface water flooding and drainage locally (eg by serving notices on landowners to maintain drains)

· a new 'opt-out' telephone flood warning system for all properties at risk

Lib Dem Councillor Samantha Bowring was flooded out of her home in South Abingdon in 2007. She said: "This is a slap in the face to the hundreds of people in Oxfordshire who had their lives ruined by the floods last year. We were promised action and we all thought the Pitt Review was a clear sign of the government's genuine intentions.

"Urgent action is needed across England. Scotland already has a flood risk bill in progress but the UK government is dragging its feet with real action on flooding now. We may not see any progress before the next General Election in 2010, which is not good enough for our residents. In particular, we need landscape-scale planning for water, drainage and flooding with strong environmental priorities, a presumption against any development on floodplains, and protection for insurance customers against unreasonable conditions, excesses and exclusions. Above all we need action now."