Commenting today’s land use statistics that reveal that 10% of new dwellings were built within areas of high flood risk, Liberal Democrat Shadow Housing Minister, Lembit Öpik said:

"With 10% of new homes still being built in flood risk areas, the Government is clearly failing to take flooding seriously.

"Flooding causes devastation to families and communities and to continue to build so many homes in these areas leaves people with unprotected and uninsurable homes.

"Meanwhile, the number of empty homes has risen in the last year. Surely bringing these properties back into use is a better bet than building on the flood plains."