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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Flood plain homes 'not ruled out' | Flood plain homes 'not ruled out' |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| The government is rejecting calls to stop building houses on flood plains, despite the recent extensive flooding. | |
| A draft of the Housing Green Paper dated 18 July, leaked to the BBC, says it is "not realistic" to prevent all future development in flood-risk areas. | |
| The Tories said building on flood plains would put more homes at risk. | The Tories said building on flood plains would put more homes at risk. |
| Housing minister Yvette Cooper said the Environment Agency could stop new homes being built if they judged the flood risk to be too high and not acceptable. | |
| She said many people were opposed to the expansion of house building being planned and cautioned them against "playing politics" with the floods which have hit areas of the south midlands and Gloucestershire. | |
| Shadow communities and local government secretary Eric Pickles said: "Gordon Brown has to accept the inconvenient truth that if you build houses on flood plains it increases the likelihood that people will be flooded. | Shadow communities and local government secretary Eric Pickles said: "Gordon Brown has to accept the inconvenient truth that if you build houses on flood plains it increases the likelihood that people will be flooded. |
| "This rush to build without thought is something that we will all regret." | "This rush to build without thought is something that we will all regret." |
| 'Robust planning' | 'Robust planning' |
| The draft document says that 10% of England's population lives in areas at risk of flooding and warns inappropriate development could "exacerbate flood risks". | The draft document says that 10% of England's population lives in areas at risk of flooding and warns inappropriate development could "exacerbate flood risks". |
| I've seen houses that have been very badly flooded in Cheltenham which were basically built on the course of brooks Martin Horwood, Liberal Democrat MP | I've seen houses that have been very badly flooded in Cheltenham which were basically built on the course of brooks Martin Horwood, Liberal Democrat MP |
| But it goes on: "While physical defences remain the central defence for managing flood risk, flood defence infrastructure cannot be continuously expanded." | But it goes on: "While physical defences remain the central defence for managing flood risk, flood defence infrastructure cannot be continuously expanded." |
| It says councils must put in place "robust planning policy" that takes into account a possible increase in rainfall in the future due to climate change. | It says councils must put in place "robust planning policy" that takes into account a possible increase in rainfall in the future due to climate change. |
| The Conservative MP for Tewkesbury, Lawrence Robertson, said plans to build extra houses north of Gloucester and Cheltenham were "absolute madness". | The Conservative MP for Tewkesbury, Lawrence Robertson, said plans to build extra houses north of Gloucester and Cheltenham were "absolute madness". |
| He said: "Let me make this direct statement now - if we go ahead with that at some stage in the future people will lose their lives... if we go ahead with that kind of building." | He said: "Let me make this direct statement now - if we go ahead with that at some stage in the future people will lose their lives... if we go ahead with that kind of building." |
| Martin Horwood, Liberal Democrat MP for Cheltenham, says the problems of the past few days means any building plans for the future must be reviewed. | Martin Horwood, Liberal Democrat MP for Cheltenham, says the problems of the past few days means any building plans for the future must be reviewed. |
| "The points about future policy on things like house-building... just have to be stopped and thought about now. | "The points about future policy on things like house-building... just have to be stopped and thought about now. |
| New homes planned | New homes planned |
| "I've seen houses that have been very badly flooded in Cheltenham which were basically built on the course of brooks. Those looked harmless enough when there weren't floods around," he said. | "I've seen houses that have been very badly flooded in Cheltenham which were basically built on the course of brooks. Those looked harmless enough when there weren't floods around," he said. |
| Gordon Brown has said he wants to build three million new homes by 2020 and pledged to ensure that 70,000 constructed each year are affordable. | Gordon Brown has said he wants to build three million new homes by 2020 and pledged to ensure that 70,000 constructed each year are affordable. |
| The Green Paper will be formally published by Housing Minister Yvette Cooper. | The Green Paper will be formally published by Housing Minister Yvette Cooper. |
| A spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said: "We don't comment on leaks. | A spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said: "We don't comment on leaks. |
| "We asked the BBC to wait for the actual Green Paper's publication in Parliament, rather than reporting on an earlier draft." | "We asked the BBC to wait for the actual Green Paper's publication in Parliament, rather than reporting on an earlier draft." |