Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 5
5
Surface water flooding remains poorly quantified, inconsistently planned, and underestimated nationally
Conclusion
Surface water flooding is the most common source of flooding in England, yet it remains poorly quantified, inconsistently planned for, and often underestimated in development decisions. It is also one of the least understood and least coordinated aspects of flood resilience nationally. This represents a major gap in national flood resilience that must be urgently addressed, though we acknowledge and welcome the Government’s commitment to improving surface water mapping and modelling. (Conclusion, Paragraph 30)
Government Response
A response document is linked to this report, dated 23 December 2025. Response attribution to this conclusion has not been verified. Read the response document ↗