Interim report on summer flooding says building regulations should require more flood resilient measures

The government should force developers to implement water-resilient measures in new buildings, according to a new report.

Sir Michael Pitt has made 87 recommendations in his interim report on the summer floods, including the introduction of tougher building regulations covering flood-resilient new buildings and refurbishments.

Pitt said that “no new building should be allowed in a flood risk area that is not flood-resilient”. He recommended the government liaise with the RIBA and the building industry to encourage flood-resilient building design.

He said that there should be requirements for flood resilient buildings and refurbishments in the next revision of Building Regulations.

The final report will be published next summer. A three-month consultation period begins in January.