Are surface flooding problems in High Wycombe made worse by the developments on the hillsides?
We are not sure – the Surface Water Management Plan should provide an answer to this question. The Environment Agency has done a lot of work in mapping areas for surface water flooding. There has been a change in development control legislation since September 2008, and planning permission is now required if a householder wishes to tarmac or concrete their driveway. This has not been strictly enforced to date, but new legislation will place a responsibility on the Council to co-ordinate this. Will the completed SWMPs lead to requests for capital expenditure? The funding for development of the SWMPs is a one-off area-based grant, spread over two years. It is mainly to develop the SWMPs, but can also be used for specific ‘quick wins.’ In our response to the Flood and Water Management Bill, we have made it clear that the responsibility placed on the Council in the Bill needs to have funding attached to it. The Government has not yet clarified the situation on funding going forward, and th
