Flood Risk Assessment

Background

The impact of flooding from rivers and coastal waters is an ever increasing problem, threatening life and property.

Over the next few decades, climate change is likely to lead to wetter winters, drier summers and rising sea levels in the UK.  These factors, coupled with the impact the built environment already has on water movement, will potentially lead to higher levels and new risks of flooding within the lifetime of planned developments.

In England and Wales, the Environment Agency requires that a Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) is submitted alongside planning applications in certain areas that are known to be at risk from flooding.  A FRA is also relevant to the maintenance and insurance of existing buildings.  In short, the susceptibility of land to flooding is a material consideration in determining planning applications.

A  FRA is required to be completed according to Planning Policy Statement 25: Development and Flood Risks.  The statement sets out policies for local authorities to ensure that the risk of flooding is taken into account during the planning process, in order to prevent inappropriate development in high risk areas and to direct development away from areas with the highest risk.

FRAs may be applicable to a range of projects from small developments on low risk sites, through to a more extensive study for a significant infrastructure development.   Essentially, however, the FRA is a report that outlines the main risks of flooding to a development site and presents mitigation measures as relevant to reduce the impact of flooding to the site and surrounding area.

Services offered

Temple has a team of environmental planners and specialists with established and proven expertise in assessment of the water environment and flood risk.

FRA complements and has strong linkages with other planning and development processes such as Environmental Impact Assessment, Strategic Environmental Assessment and Planning Applications.  Temple has capabilities in these other service areas and can integrate FRA with other legislative requirements and outputs.

We are experienced in stakeholder consultation and enjoy good working relationships with many local planning authorities and the Environment Agency.  This means that we are well placed to secure consensus and achieve outcomes that meet the expectations of the key interested parties in ensuring that any future development is flood resilient.

Current projects include an FRA for the DLR Dagenham Dock Extension, involving liaision with the engineers and Environment Agency to provide input to detailed route and station design and mitigation.

Service Users

• Developers;
• Planning Consultants;
• Transport Promoters and Providers; and
• Local Planning Authorities.

Contacts

For further details regarding our services, please contact Andrew Bryant on 020 7394 3700 or andrew.bryant@templegroup.co.uk