BWB Consulting - Integrated Engineering and Environmental Consultants

Planning Policy Statement No.25 (PPS25), published in December 2006 has now superseded previous Planning Guidance (PPG25). Please click here for a summary of the main changes to the policy. PPS25 requires that Local Planning Authorities adopt a risk based approach for evaluating proposals for development within areas at risk of flooding, or that may increase the risk of flooding in other areas in the vicinity of the development. Where flood risk issues may be significant, developers are required to submit with their planning application a Flood Risk Assessment (FRA). This should identify and comment on:

• the area liable to flooding
• the probability of flooding occurring, both now and over time due to (Climate Change)
• the extent and standard of existing flood defences and their effectiveness over time
• the likely depth of flooding
• the rates of flow likely to be involved
• the likelihood of impacts to other areas, properties and habitats
• the effects of climate change
• the nature and anticipated lifetime of the proposed development and the extent to which is designed to deal with flood risk

It is essential that the FRA presents both the planning context for the development proposals as well as techniques to deal with the flood risk in order to give the planning application the maximum chance of success.

Where developments are of a scale that their runoff may have material impact upon rivers or other watercourses, a runoff impact assessment will need to be undertaken.