Architectural Designs

Is the UK construction industry doing enough for building design in flood prone areas?

There is no progression in the methods of construction to prepare for climate change within the UK Is the UK construction industry doing enough for building design in flood prone areas? Why are they still building on land if it is prone to flooding? What enhanced flood proof methods are there for building in such risk areas?

Public Comments

1. My question would be - why buy a house on a flood plain and then complain when it floods? Makes no sense.
2. I would say why issue building permits in that kind of a location period. If an area is subject to flooding on even a 20 year basis i would prohibit construction there.
3. First of all the construction industry does not dictate design. Either consumer demand or architectural design dictates. Second if you're worried about flooding in a big building build your parking deck below so that the only thing that floods is the parking deck structure. Look at coastal communities prone to hurricanes for good design ideas. Third the construction industry IS persuing green initiatives. It's just not as available and economical as other means right now. It is getting better though - look for it soon. If you don't want to be in a flood-prone zone then look elsewhere.
4. Floods occur in built up areas for only one reason - the municiple drainage is insufficient for the amount of rain received. What tends to happen is that councils design their street drainage to cope with a 100 year storm or a 200 year storm, if they get it right, the area can still have flooding once every 100 or 200 years. If towns and cities in the UK had massive storm water drains like they have in hurricane and monsoon prone cities like Hong Kong or Singapore, then they would never flood in 1000 years - but why spend that much money on drainage?
5. all they care about is the money, they'll build anywhere