Planning permission has been given for more than 7,000 homes to be built in the areas at the
highest risk of flooding in England, a report commissioned by leading insurance provider Allianz reveals today.
The report – Plain dealing revisited: Planning for flood resilience – authored by independent think tank Localis,
reveals that a total of 7,116 new homes have full or conditional approval planning permission on previously
undeveloped floodplain land in the 12 local authorities with the highest proportion of homes at flood risk.
Researchers analysed the planning portals of these authorities, recording all entries relating to ongoing
developments in the first half of 2024. Of this total, 1,006 dwellings were given planning approval in the first
half of 2024[1], while 6,110 were granted approval in previous years.
The Localis report also highlights that 7% of England’s flood defences are in a poor state with 1% classed as
very poor. A quarter of flood defences are privately owned and almost twice as likely to be in poor condition
than those maintained by the Environment Agency.