MPs say UK still unprepared for floods

Edie.net: A report from the Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRACOM) found there was a total lack of awareness about the vulnerability of large parts of the country prior to the floods and infrastructure to deal with the deluge was "confused and chaotic". The committee said it should become a statutory duty for local authorities to deal with surface water drainage, with the Environment Agency acting as an advisory body.

The £800m funding announced by Government to deal with flooding "is not fully adequate", the report went on. MPs also demanded that ministers explain how the £34m of funding announced in February will be sufficient to fund the final recommendations of the Pitt Review when they are published this summer. Committee chairman Michael Jack said: ""Government must bring clarity to this situation so that the public, wherever they live, can have peace of mind that every effort is being made to avoid a repeat of the fiasco of last summer."

Other recommendations included:

Clarify ownership of different drainage systems through a register compiled by local authorities

Greater use of sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS)

Require planning permission to pave over front gardens with non-porous materials

New buildings on flood plains should be properly flood resistant and resilient

Government must address the skills shortage among engineers working in the flooding and drainage fields...

Storm drain, location unknown. Shot by Robert Lawton, Wikimedia Commons, under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5 License