Just before Christmas Eric Pickles, the Government’s Secretary of State for Communities & Local Government, announced changes to urban drainage rules that are due to take effect from April. It has worried builders and some hard landscapers.

It will mean developments of 10 houses or more, or the equivalent in non-residential or mixed development, will normally be subjected to SuDS (sustainable urban drainage systems) scrutiny to make sure hard landscaping can drain safely without flooding nearby properties.

There is a loophole allowing builders to demonstrate that SuDS is inappropriate, although that sounds like a caveat intended to allow schemes the government likes to go ahead rather than something most builders will be able to use.

Eric Pickles said planning authorities should ensure there are clear arrangements in place for ongoing maintenance of hard landscaping and drainage over the lifetime of a development, although it is not clear who would be responsible for such maintenance.

Government is currently consulting on a proposal to make lead local flood authorities (county councils and unitary authorities) statutory consultees on applications for surface water management. Many people (other than builders) want SuDS for all developments, however small.