In the lead up to the 2015 General Election, Unda reviews the major political parties’ manifestos with particular focus on how they attend to address the issue of flooding if they come to power.  Pledges concerning their new build programmes over the coming years are also of concern when addressing the issue of flooding.

The Conservative Part Manifesto 2015

 

So how does The Conservative Party  manifesto fair on the issue of flooding?

The key points of the manifesto relating to flooding include;

• Plans to build 200,000 starter homes
• Give people the right to build by at least doubling the number of custom-built and self-built homes by 2020.
• Build a further 1,400 new flood defence schemes to protect 300,000 new homes.

 

Election 2015: Conservative Party Manifesto pledges on Flood. Extracts from the Manifesto;

We will build 200,000 Starter Homes and more affordable housing – pg. 52

We will build 200,000 quality Starter Homes over the course of the next Parliament, reserved for first-time buyers under 40 and sold at 20 per cent below the market price. We have delivered over 217,000 new affordable homes since 2010. We will now go further, delivering 275,000 additional affordable homes by 2020. And we will offer 10,000 new homes to rent at below market rates, to help people save for a deposit.

We will give you the Right to Build – pg. 52

We aim at least to double the number of custom-built and self-built homes by 2020, and we will take forward a new Right to Build, requiring councils to allocate land to local people to build or commission their own home, as you can do in most of Europe.

We will protect the Green Belt – pg. 52

We have safeguarded national Green Belt protection and increased protection of important green spaces. We have abolished the Labour Government’s top-down Regional Strategies which sought to delete the Green Belt in and around 30 towns and cities and introduced a new Local Green Space planning designation which allows councils and neighbourhood plans.

We will help you enjoy cleaner air and water – pg.54

We will continue to do even more to tackle air pollution and clean up our rivers and waterways, including supporting the Thames Tideway Tunnel. We have spent over £3 billion on improving flood defences, and capped the cost of flood insurance. We will now go further, building 1,400 new flood defence schemes, to protect 300,000 homes.

Find out more about Flood Risk Assessment.