Guidance

Flood risk assessment in flood zone 1 and critical drainage areas

How to carry out a flood risk assessment so that you can complete your planning application.

Applies to England

You need to do a flood risk assessment if your development is in flood zone 1 and:

  • more than 1 hectare

  • in an area with critical drainage problems as notified by the Environment Agency

You also need to do a flood risk assessment if your development could be subject to other sources of flooding (for example surface water drains). This includes a change of use to an existing development that makes it more vulnerable to flooding.

Check with your lead local flood authority to see if your development would be affected by other sources of flooding.

Find out what flood zone you’re in.

Contact your local planning authority to check if your development is in an area with critical drainage problems as notified by the Environment Agency.

You also need to do a flood risk assessment if your development could be affected by other sources of flooding (for example surface water drains) or if the development is now classed as ‘more vulnerable’ following a change of use. Check this with your lead local flood authority - contact your local council to find out who this is.

Read the flood risk assessment for planning applications if you’re not sure if this guidance applies to you.

Your written flood risk assessment can be in any format but must include the relevant plans, surveys and assessments. Check with your local planning authority if they have any specific software requirements, for example for producing detailed hydraulic models.

Research your development site

Contact the following organisations for information about flood risk in your area:

Contact your local planning authority or check the planning section of their website for their strategic flood risk assessment if one has been adopted as part of the local plan. Refer to the strategic flood risk assessment in your own flood risk assessment.

Check if your development is within 20 metres (m) of a main river. Ask the Environment Agency for advice if it is. 

Check with the Environment Agency if you need to get an environmental permit (permission to do work on or near a main river in England).

Plans

You need to provide a location plan showing:

  • street names

  • any rivers, streams, ponds, wetlands or other bodies of water

  • other geographical features, for example railway lines or local landmarks such as schools or churches

You can buy a location plan from the Ordnance Survey.

You also need to provide a site plan showing:

  • the existing site
  • your development proposal
  • any structures that could affect water flow, for example bridges, embankments

Surveys

You need to provide a survey showing:

  • existing site levels
  • the levels of your proposed development

Check with your local planning authority if you also need to show your site in relation to its surroundings.

If you do, you’ll have to put site levels in relation to the Ordnance Datum (the height above average sea level). You may be able to find Ordnance Datum information from the Ordnance Survey. If not, you’ll need to pay for a land survey carried out by a qualified surveyor.

Assessments

Assess what the risk would be to your development if there was a flood. Consider flooding from other sources (for example surface water drains, a canal) as well as from rivers and the sea.

You should also consider climate change in your assessment.

Surface water drainage

You also need to assess surface water runoff on the site and provide:

  • an estimate of how much surface water runoff your development will generate
  • details of existing methods for managing surface water runoff, for example drainage to a sewer
  • your plans for managing surface water and for making sure there’s no increase in the volume of surface water and rate of surface water runoff

Surface water runoff describes flooding from sewers, drains, groundwater, and runoff from land, small water courses and ditches that occurs as a result of heavy rainfall.

Make sure your plans for managing surface water are in line with:

Developments on or near main rivers

State in your assessment if you need an environmental permit and if you’ve applied for it if so.

Submit your flood risk assessment

Submit your completed flood risk assessment with your planning application to your local planning authority.

They’ll review your flood risk assessment and tell you if it’s satisfactory.

Contact the Environment Agency

Environment Agency

PO Box 544

Rotherham
Yorkshire
S60 1BY

Email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk

Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm 0370 8506 506

From outside the UK +44 1709 389 201

Published 1 April 2012
Last updated 28 February 2017 + show all updates
  1. Changed URL for "Find out what flood zone you’re in" to pint to new Flood Map for Planning service Changed URL for "Check if your development is within 20 metres (m) of a main river" to point to WIYBY Main River map

  2. First published.