§ Mr. Edward DaveyTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress has been made by the Thames Gateway Strategic Executive with the Environment Agency on the production of working maps of environmental and flooding constraints for the zones of change in the Thames Gateway; and when he expects these maps to be published. [174360]
§ Keith HillIn the Thames Gateway and elsewhere, the Environment Agency provides local planning authorities with information on flood risk for use in local planning processes. In summer 2004 the Environment Agency will be issuing local planning authorities with flood zone maps, which show the different zones of flood risk as set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 25 on 'Development and Flood Risk'. These flood zone maps will be incorporated into the Flood Map on the Agency's website in the autumn. Updates to the Flood Map (which also includes information on flood defences) will be provided to local planning authorities every three months.
1144WThe Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is working closely with the Environment Agency on the management of flood risk in the Thames Gateway. As elsewhere, new development is expected to comply with guidance on flood risk as set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 25. In addition, all Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's funded local delivery vehicles in the Thames Gateway zones of change are required to ensure the production of flood risk assessments for their area so that the appropriate siting and design of development is considered. Where we are funding individual projects in the Thames Gateway this will also be conditional on an appropriate flood risk assessment being carried out.