To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will bring forward proposals to introduce a power to rescind planning permission where there is a serious risk of that location flooding or if that development will cause another site to flood; and if she will make a statement. (180966)

[holding answer 22 January 2008]: The Secretary of State already has power under section 100 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to revoke or modify a planning permission granted by a local planning authority. Revocation or modification can only be made before a planning permission is implemented. Such intervention is justified only in exceptional circumstances and the Secretary of State will generally use this power only if the original decision is judged to be grossly wrong.

It is clearly better to ensure that up to date and relevant Government planning policy is available for local planning authorities to take into account, when planning for development and deciding planning applications. Planning Policy Statement 25 “Development and Flood Risk”, published in December 2006, provides such planning policy.