Key information
Request reference number: MGLA220925-4638
Date of response:
Summary of request
I would like to submit a Freedom of Information request to access the following information please:
- How many reports of blocked highway drains did you receive in 2023 and in 2024, as well as 2025 year to date
- How many blocked highway drains were reported more than once in 2023 and in 2024, as well as 2025 year to date
- How many blocked highway drains did you clear in 2023 and in 2024, as well as 2025 year to date
- How many individual homes flooded due to blocked highway drains in 2023 and in 2024, as well as 2025 year to date or How many individual homes in your area were affected by urban flash flooding in 2023 and in 2024, as well as 2025 year to date
- How many acres [or square metres] of land was passed for new housing, commercial, industrial developments or car parks in 2023 and in 2024, as well as 2025 year to date
- How many residential properties were protected by new flood defences (including all flood mitigation measures) in 2023 and 2024, as well as 2025 year to date. Please split between existing properties and new build developments.
If possible, please break data down by the smallest areas possible - i.e. by borough, or street. Time period for data relating to the request: 2023 and 2024, as well as 2025 year to date.
Response
In relation to the first 4 parts and the final part of your request, the GLA does not hold information in scope. The GLA is London's strategic government and does not operate in the same way as local councils. We therefore do not hold the information you have requested related to blocked highway drains. In London you would need to contact the Borough Councils, including the City of London: https://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/london-directory
In relation to part 5 of your request, I can confirm that the GLA holds information in scope, related to planning permission approvals in that period:
- How many acres [or square metres] of land was passed for new housing, commercial, industrial developments or car parks in 2023 and in 2024, as well as 2025 year to date
New Housing
A total of 513.80 hectares of land was approved for new housing development between 01/04/2023 to 20/10/2025. Please note that this data has been filtered to include the site area of all applications that provide new housing and where possible excludes any conversions of existing homes to flats and prior approval applications.
Please also note that this data was initially provided by the applicants seeking planning permissions and is checked by London Planning authorities for accuracy, however we cannot ensure all applications have been verified and therefore some inaccuracies with the data may exist.
See below for a breakdown of the site areas (in hectares) by Local Planning Authorities:
Barking & Dagenham 5.16
Barnet 51.91
Bexley 10.23
Brent 23.34
Bromley 34.65
Camden 15.13
City of London 2.77
Croydon 16.10
Ealing 35.68
Enfield 12.59
Greenwich 14.84
Hackney 2.12
Hammersmith & Fulham 9.80
Haringey 7.16
Harrow 8.42
Havering 15.73
Hillingdon 20.19
Hounslow 25.93
Islington 5.98
Kensington & Chelsea 5.47
Kingston 7.31
Lambeth 8.28
Lewisham 13.18
LLDC 8.14
Merton 22.53
Newham 20.05
OPDC 2.13
Redbridge 17.33
Richmond 5.99
Southwark 10.28
Sutton 7.95
Tower Hamlets 18.35
Waltham Forest 6.75
Wandsworth 27.64
Westminster 14.72
Grand Total 513.80
Commercial Land
A total of 351 hectares of land was approved for commercial development between 01/04/2023 and 20/10/2025. Please note that this data was filtered to include only applications with planning approval and includes any with a gain of Gross Internal Area for Use Class E or any sub category of E.
(See https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/change-of-use/use-classes for a full list of Use Classes).
Please also note that this data was initially provided by the applicants seeking planning permissions and is checked by London Planning authorities for accuracy, however we cannot ensure all applications have been verified and therefore some inaccuracies with the data may exist.
Barking & Dagenham 0.94
Barnet 22.43
Bexley 29.68
Brent 19.01
Bromley 7.68
Camden 18.87
City of London 7.87
Croydon 14.70
Ealing 30.92
Enfield 4.39
Greenwich 7.92
Hackney 18.90
Hammersmith & Fulham 14.52
Haringey 5.37
Harrow 0.77
Havering 2.79
Hillingdon 8.29
Hounslow 37.74
Islington 3.93
Kensington & Chelsea 4.07
Kingston 0.13
Lambeth 4.52
Lewisham 10.93
LLDC 1.09
Merton 2.63
Newham 3.53
Redbridge 3.55
Richmond 6.50
Southwark 10.45
Sutton 2.14
Tower Hamlets 15.14
Waltham Forest 2.74
Wandsworth 9.02
Westminster 18.84
Grand Total 351.99
Industrial Land
A total of 164 hectares of land was approved for planning permission between 01/04/2023 and 20/10/2025 for industrial development. Please note that this data was filtered to include only applications with planning approval and includes any with a gain of Gross Internal Area for Use Class B2 or B8.
(See https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/change-of-use/use-classes for a full list of Use Classes).
Please note that this data was initially provided by the applicants seeking planning permissions and is checked by London Planning authorities for accuracy, however we cannot ensure all applications have been verified and therefore some inaccuracies with the data may exist.
Barking & Dagenham 6.05
Barnet 4.63
Bexley 5.88
Brent 6.76
Bromley 8.23
Camden 0.77
Croydon 5.85
Ealing 11.82
Enfield 2.82
Greenwich 3.18
Hackney 0.18
Hammersmith & Fulham 1.25
Haringey 1.29
Harrow 0.00
Havering 11.15
Hillingdon 14.37
Hounslow 33.10
Islington 0.18
Kensington & Chelsea 0.01
Kingston 1.64
Lambeth 0.13
Lewisham 2.64
Merton 1.85
Newham 24.63
OPDC 1.00
Redbridge 1.43
Richmond 0.58
Southwark 0.48
Sutton 2.75
Tower Hamlets 3.32
Waltham Forest 1.69
Wandsworth 0.60
Westminster 4.27
Grand Total 164.54
The GLA does not hold systematic data on car parks so cannot provide planning data relating to these.
If you have any further questions about the GLA’s response to your request, please contact us quoting the reference MGLA220925-4638.