Greens win landmark vote on urban flood prevention
13 October 2008
Islington Council has agreed to groundbreaking Green proposals to help prevent flooding in the future.
Greens are now hoping that other local authorities will follow suit, after the London Borough became the first to commit to cataloguing permeable ground, which allows rainwater to seep away and reduces the severity of flooding.
The proposal, from Green Party councilor Katie Dawson, was passed unanimously on Thursday 9th October, and will make Islington the UK’s leading borough for policies on groundwater management.
In the same vote, the council also agreed to look into using the survey to adopt a planning policy of 'no net loss' of permeable surfaces - meaning that open space could not be built over without at the same time freeing up ground elsewhere in the area.
Other planning policies that may be introduced as a result include ensuring that new developments incorporate permeable grass or earth surfaces to allow rainwater to drain away and the planting of more trees, which soak up moisture and reduce the risk of urban flooding.
Councillor Katie Dawson said: “Flood prevention is a cinderella issue in many urban areas, but recent floods across the country have shown us the huge human cost of failing to take groundwater management seriously.
"Rainfall patterns are changing and we need to plan ahead now. I’m delighted to be helping Islington to take these first steps.
"The motion is the first of its kind. Nowhere else in the UK is the commitment of "no net loss" applied. Nowhere else in the UK is there an inventory of permeable area planned."
Darren Johnson, Green London Assembly Member and Chair of the Assembly's Environment Committee, chaired an investigation into the loss of front gardens in 2005. He says:
"This is a huge step forward for Islington Council and I hope it will lead to many other local authorities in urban areas following suit. Katie Dawson has worked incredibly hard to push for this: a similar motion in March was rejected, and it is entirely down to Katie's persistence and credibility that we got it through this time."
Now the motion has passed, Greens in Islington have pledged to keep up pressure on the council’s executive to carry out the measures.
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