Thousands of homes in England are at risk of flooding every year, with many more new homes being built in floodplains too. 

As extreme weather events and floods become increasingly common, floods that were previously judged as likely to happen once in a hundred years are happening on an annual basis. 

Planning regulations and preventative measures can play an important role in protecting our homes against flooding. 

This was the topic of discussion at the first evidence session of our Bricks and Water inquiry. 

Rachael Maskell MP chaired the session, with contributions from speakers:

• The Rt Hon Philip Dunne MP
• Luke Pollard MP

• Julie Foley, Director of Flood Risk Strategy & National Adaptation, Environment Agency

• Dr. Andy Russell, Lecturer in Environmental Science, Queen Mary University of London

The discussion covered biodiversity, nature-based upstream solutions, sustainable development options, the Environment Agency's role in assessing planning applications, retrofit solutions and much more. 

The next evidence session of the inquiry will take place on 25th May and will cover mitigation measures.