Build on flood plains despite the risks, say government advisers

Climate change experts say construction should go ahead - but households should be made aware of possible threats

Homes and businesses should continue to be built on flood plains across the UK despite the increasing risks, according to government advisers on climate change.

Lord Krebs, the government's statutory adviser on adapting to the effects of global warming, told an influential committee of MPs on Wednesday that although recent flooding has caused houses and other buildings to be inundated, property could continue to be constructed on flood plains. He said that the attendant risks and the possible devastation would have to be made clear to households, local government and developers.