Ban on building in areas at risk of flooding

DEVELOPMENTS would be banned in most areas at risk of flooding under draft guidelines published by Environment Minister John Gormley yesterday.

But the opposition criticised the fact the Government had taken so long to bring forward the guidelines, saying they came too late for thousands of people who saw their homes destroyed because of flooding over the summer.

According to Mr Gormley, the guidelines would ensure “a more consistent, rigorous and systematic approach to fully incorporate flood-risk assessment and management into the planning system”.