COUNCILS on the Dorset coast are heeding Environment Agency advice and not allowing building on high risk flood plains, says Christchurch borough's planning chief David Jobbins.

"They would advise us whether something was unacceptable. If it was we would refuse it on those grounds alone," he said.

"I'm not aware there has been a refusal on flood risk because most people withdraw their applications if there is a flood risk."

His comment follows housing minister Yvette Cooper making it plain on Sunday that would be no government change of heart about building three million new homes in the South East by 2020.

With torrential rainfall leading to some of the worse flooding in recent times and with the threat of global warming and rising sea levels looming on the horizon, covering more of the land with bricks and concrete may seem like folly.

After all, the more hard surfaces there are, the less chance there is for water to drain away quickly. And the faster the water fills up the rivers they sooner they burst their banks and inundate precious farmland, factories and homes.

The Environment Agency works on a principle of three zones when looking at planning applications, with zone three being at highest risk.

New development in medium risk areas can have risks designed out.

For instance the Avonmouth Hotel at Mudeford has wave screens to protect the property and the car park at Poole Asda has underground storage tanks to alleviate the threat of flooding; while the high risk development at Swanage Pier has been refused said Mr Jobbins.

The government has kept a weather eye on the threat of global warming and now government planning advice is for the Environment Agency to consider the risk of a one in 200-year flood in its calculations, instead of the previous one in 100-year.

Planning authorities check if the drainage system is up to dealing with carrying water away safely from new build sites. And as well as getting rid of water quickly and safely, more heed is now being paid to re-use and recycling of the precious life-giving liquid that can cause so much devastation in the wrong place.

An Environment Agency spokesman said: "We recognise there is a housing shortage and towns and cities will expand, but it is of great concern to us a number of recently built homes have been affected in these recent floods.

"Flooding is likely to increase in importance with climate change as we see wetter, stormier winters and more intense rainfall.

"We support the government's planning policies for steering development away from high risk flood areas.

"Our aim is to make sure we avoid building homes in places we might later regret."

Following floods in 1979 in Christchurch, bunds were built along the banks of the River Stour and floodgates were constructed at the Quay and Civic Offices.

Along the coast at Lymington the final £3.4 million stage of a flood defence scheme is due to begin at the end of September. The seven-week project will protect residential and business properties in low-lying Bridge Road and Waterloo Road should flooding occur upstream of the causeway.

Other riverside areas of the town are already protected, as are Milford and Keyhaven.