The government's planning policies must take some of the blame for the scale of recent flood damage, which is expected to cost more than £1.5 billion to repair, an expert has claimed.

According to Dr Richard Wellings, deputy editorial director of the Institute of Economic Affairs, the government is attempting to tackle global warming by imposing strict insulation standards and forcing developers to pack homes closely together.

However, Dr Wellings pointed out that these policies have "substantial" negative environmental effects, including the fact that many brownfield sites - upon which a high proportion of new homes are built - are particularly prone to flooding.

Writing in the Yorkshire Post, he insisted: "Planning policies must therefore take part of the blame for the scale of the flood damage."

The expert claimed that there is a "strong economic and environmental case for liberalising planning and building regulations".

"The development of poor quality brownfield sites next to rivers at risk of flooding as well as roads, railways or crime-ridden social housing estates would no longer be necessary," he added.

Dr Wellings also pointed out that property owners in tightly packed homes suffer from excessive noise, a factor which causes many to install double glazing and other forms of noise insulation.

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Author:  Joanne McCabe

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