Being in the right place at the right time has always been as important as having a good idea in determining success. For Sherwood’s Conservative MP, Mark Spencer, the recent and tragic devastation caused by bad weather and flooding in the South of the UK brought with it a silver lining; namely helping to bring his bill for more responsible building in areas where existing drainage systems could be put under immense strain to make its way through parliament.

The Impact Of New Housing Developments

Spencer has been pushing for reforms of the current law, which gives no consideration to the impact that new developments might have on the water table in certain regions – particularly away from more modernised urban areas.

His worry is that village communities are growing at a much faster rate than their rapidly outdating drainage systems can cope with, and is proposing that local county councils have legal backing and responsibility when considering the flood dangers posed by planning permission applications from developers.

As Spencer explains, “the villages today are faced with sewage systems that are already under enormous pressure and have a high risk of flooding during prolonged or heavy rain fall.” Under his proposals, it would be a legal requirement that any designs for new builds must take drainage into consideration.

The New Bill

The Parliamentary Bill that Spencer had put forward (Flooding Prevention for New Developments) was submitted following last July’s flooding in his home constituency in Nottinghamshire, and was in danger of being ignored – swept under the carpet where it was close to running out of time. Now, after scenes seen around the world of much of South West Britain under water, its towns and villages devastated and its people losing their possessions and, in some cases, their lives, the government has been left with no choice other than to consider Spencer’s ideas.

Second Reading In Parliament

The Bill is due for its second reading in the House of Commons at the end of February, and many have acknowledged that the timing of the recent storms offered the government a chance to avoid losing face over the ways in which they reacted. Lessons have clearly been learnt from the criticism aimed at George W Bush after his slow response to Hurricane Katrina, which tore across New Orleans in 2005, as now the government has supplied a £7m emergency fund to help rebuild important infrastructure in some of the most damaged areas, and before long Spencer’s own Bill could well become law as part of David Cameron’s public response.

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In the meantime, in the South East the heavy rains had a similarly devastating effect on local drainage systems, with many becoming blocked or damaged. If the drains at your home or business are overflowing or backing up, then the experts at Express Drainage Solutions are on hand to provide the highest quality CCTV surveys and unblocking services across the South East.

For more information, or to request a free, no obligation quote, don’t hesitate to get in touch today.