In a session focusing on infrastructure resilience, planning rules and the risk to farmers from floods, the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) will continue gathering evidence as part of its Flood resilience in England inquiry.
The evidence session comes following recent Government announcements of its long-awaited Land Use Strategy consultation and investment in flood defences.
In the session, EAC will consider how England uses its land for housing, infrastructure and farming and what impact it has on the country’s flood resilience. It will explore whether flood resilience is given enough weight in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and whether communities are sufficiently empowered to engage in flood resilience decisions in their local areas.
Conscious of the devastating impact flooding events can have on farmland, there will be specific discussion on operational challenges facing farmers when recovering from flooding and how a balance can be struck between food production and flood resilience responsibilities.
Witnesses
From 14.30:
- Hannah Burgess, President, Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management
- Celia Davis, Senior Projects and Policy Manager, Town and Country Planning Association
- Rachel Hallos, Vice President, National Farmers’ Union
The session will held on Wednesday 12 February at 14.30 and can be watched here.
Further information
The Environmental Audit Committee considers the extent to which the policies and programmes of government departments and non-departmental public bodies contribute to environmental protection and sustainable development, and to audit their performance against sustainable development and environmental protection targets. It is not a government committee but a select committee of the House of Commons with a key role in holding ministers to account. Any of its inquiries would correctly be described as a ‘parliamentary inquiry’ and not a ‘government inquiry’.
Committee membership can be found on the Committee’s website.
Evidence Session
Flood resilience in England
Wednesday 12 February at 14.30, Grimond Room, Portcullis House
