Rain pain comes 'before paving gain'

The Home Builders Federation (HBF) is advising homeowners considering renovating their property to think carefully about the effects of paving their front garden.

HBF spokesperson Steve Turner said people will have to think about the impact the paving will have on "the ability of the local draining systems".

Non-porous front gardens cause rain water to flow directly into the drainage systems while gardens with grass and vegetation provide an avenue for the excess water to simply soak through, Mr Turner pointed out.

The spokesperson added that if the drainage system is "not designed to cope" with non-porous gardens then people should not "create something that could cause problems for the whole neighbourhood.

Starting from October 1st 2008, homeowners will be legally obliged to apply for planning permission should they wish to pave their front garden with impermeable materials.

According to the Environment Agency, two-thirds of the 57,000 homes affected during the summer floods were inundated with surface water runoff, which overloaded drainage systems