Labour urged to back simple law change that could help reduce droughts after hottest UK summer on record

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 10:22 EDT, 3 September 2026 | Updated: 10:37 EDT, 3 September 2026 Andy Burnham is being urged to throw Labour support behind a simple planning law change that could help protect farmland against punishing future droughts.After the warmest UK summer since records began almost 150 years ago, Tory MP Rebecca Smith wants the rules changed to allow farmers to create ponds without seeking planning permission. The South West Devon MP argues that because making them often involves excavating earth it can be deemed engineering work or even mining activity that has to be approved by a local authority.This means it can take time and money to wade through red tape before any change is made that could help protect land from the worst dry summer weather and also the ravages of flooding in winter.Ms Smith is introducing a private members bill tomorrow that would allow small ponds - which could also act as wildlife havens - to be created without planning permission.'Britain has just experienced one of the worst periods of droughts. This winter will once again bring intense storms and heavy rainfall,' Ms Smith told the Mail. 'Crops will be washed away and flash floods will hit households hard. Labour cannot repeat the mistakes of this summer and sit idly by.Summer 2026 was the warmest in the UK since records began in 1884, marked by devastating wildfires, water restrictions for millions and many areas being declared in drought Tory MP Rebecca Smith wants the rules changes to allow farmers to create ponds without having to get planning permission'That is why the government must support my bill to cut red tape on creating ponds. This will ensure farmers and rural communities can build natural flood defences and increase drought resilience.'According to Natural England, two thirds of ponds in England and Wales have been lost since the end of the 19th century, fuelled by urbanisation and changes to farming methods.The PMB seeks to give 'presumed consent' under planning rules to bodies of water with a surface area of less than 0.2 hectares - around a third of a football pitch.Summer 2026 was the warmest in the UK since records began in 1884, according to provisional figures from the Met Office.The average temperature across June, July and August was 16.5C, beating the previous high of 16.1C set only last year.It means the top six warmest summers on record have all occurred this century, including three this decade: 2026 in first place, followed by 2025, 2018, 2006, 2003 and 2022. England saw its driest July since data began, with only 7mm of rain measured, or 10 per cent of the long-term averageEngland also saw its driest July since data began, with only 7mm of rain measured, or 10 per cent of the long-term average. The official figures for August are yet to be released.'Ponds are an underutilised resource. They can bring life back to our country, creating a safe haven for Britain's beloved wildlife,' Ms Smith continued.'But two-thirds are now gone from our green and pleasant land, and our environment, rural communities, and farmers are left suffering.'If the government is truly committed to supporting farmers and rural communities, they should back my bill, cut red tape on these natural flood defences, and ensure British households are protected this winter.'