- Fastest in the UK: Flood Risk Assessments in 48 Hours • Drainage Strategies in 5 Days.
Flood Risk Assessments for Planning Permission
Chartered engineers delivering flood risk assessment planning ready in 48 hours, compliant with Environment Agency and Local Authority guidance.
Looking for Flood Risk Assessments for your planning application?
Our flood risk assessments for planning applications are completed by our highly experienced chartered engineers who are abreast of the latest legislation and flood modelling data to protect your development from flooding and make it a reality.
Our expertise enables us to provide full range of services for any size development. We are able to create 1D and 2D river models and assess your development within flood zone 2 and flood zone 3, critical drainage areas or in areas where the flood levels are unknown. We can also produce sequential tests and exception tests for your site.
Our Reports
Join the hundreds of architects, planners and developers who are using responsive technical data and clear engineering judgement to get their developments underway.
Flood Risk Appraisal
Any size development
Details site potential within the floodplain before making an investment decision or starting your master plan design
Flood Risk Assessment – Strategic Development
Developments up to 50,000 square metres within flood zone 2 and 3
Flood Risk Assessment – Major Development
Developments under 5,000 square metres within flood zone 2 and 3
Flood Risk Assessment – Minor Development
Developments less than 2500 square metres within flood zone 2 or 3
Flood Risk Assessment – Single Dwelling
Developments less than 1,000 square metres within flood zone 2 or 3
Flood Risk Assessment – Extensions and Change of Use
Developments less than 250 square metres within flood zone 2 or 3
Our Clients
What Our Customer Says
We are a dynamic flood risk assessment consultancy with substantial experience in supporting planning applications for sectors such as housing, commercial, recreational, renewables and infrastructure.
Benefits of our Flood Risk Assessments
You receive clear and specific advice which:
Enables you to make informed changes to the design and achieve planning
Our flood risk assessment provides a detailed analysis of multiple sources of flood risk proving specific mitigation strategies that apply to your development.
Flood Risk Assessments for Planning Permission
Our Flood Risk Assessments are used to support planning applications, including when an assessment is required, how flood constraints are considered, and when additional supporting flood risk services may be needed as part of the planning process.
The benefits of using our flood risk assessments for your planning application
- You receive the first reports in 48hrs. This allows you to register your planning application
- Reduced the time and costs associated with delayed planning applications
- Increased chances of obtaining planning permission for your developments
- Helps you make design decisions based on detailed knowledge of flood risk mitigation and interventions
- Fixed price for all our flood risk assessments
- We support you through the planning application until a decision is made
- For householder developments and extensions, assessments are prepared proportionately, focusing on the specific flood risk considerations relevant to the scale of the proposal.
When would you get your flood risk assessment?
You will get the initial flood risk assessment in 48hrs. You can validate your planning application right away if you have a tight timescale. You can also use this report to inform your design team of the possible flood risks constraints and resilience interventions
It is also important to note that not every planning application requires a full Flood Risk Assessment; for many small house extensions located in Flood Zone 1 and where there are no significant surface water or drainage constraints, a proportionate Flood Risk Screening Note may be sufficient to support a planning application.
Our Flood Risk Assessment Methodology
Our flood risk assessment methodology is based on obtaining the best possible data and using our engineering judgement and experience to get your development through planning.
During this process, we are proactive in giving you proven solutions to flooding and are available to discuss design approaches that architects or designers may have.
The flood risk assessment methodology includes
- Obtaining your development’s drawings and levels
- Consulting the available databases and obtain all relevant flood risk information
- Liaising with the Environment Agency and local planning authorities to understand their requirements
- Agreeing with the Environment agency your flood risk assessment climate change allowance
- Evaluating the detailed flood risk information for river, sea, groundwater, run-off, reservoirs, and critical drainage areas
- Providing clear advice on how to mitigate the risk of flooding
Our Civil and Structural Engineering backgrounds ensures robust solutions that strengthen your planning approval whilst following the Environment Agency standing advice for flood risk assessments.
Reports are written specifically for planning submission and are structured so that planning officers can quickly identify site risk, policy compliance, and any necessary mitigation measures.
What a Flood Risk Assessment Report Includes
- Identification of the site Flood Zone and planning implications
- Assessment of fluvial, surface water, groundwater and reservoir flood risk
- Consideration of climate change allowances where applicable
- Finished floor level assumptions or recommendations
- Proportionate flood risk mitigation measures
- Clear conclusions written for planning officer review
Maps
Our Flood Risk Assessment Maps
Online flood maps are often used as an initial check when considering a development site. However, map data alone is not always sufficient to support a planning application and should be interpreted alongside site-specific assessment where required.
Our flood risk map for planning for England has been developed to check if your development is in a flood zone or affected by other sources of flooding.
You will be able to see the risk of flooding from rivers or sea (planning), flooding from surface water and reservoirs or whether the development is affected by surface water run-off.
We have taken this information directly from the Environment Agency databases and prepared it so you can check in detail if your development need a flood risk assessment.
You can also check the following maps
- Flood Maps England: Environment Agency Flood Map for Planning
- Scotland: Scottish Environment Protection Agency flood maps
- Wales: National Resources Wales flood map
- Northern Ireland: Flood maps (NI)
Our Detailed Services
We provide a flood risk risk tailored to your needs, these are the detailed services we can also offer as part of the flood risk assessment.
Detailed sequential and Exception Tests
We combined our excellent flood risk expertise with highly experienced planning consultants to create the fastest most reputable sequential test for your planning applications.
1D & 2D Detailed River Modelling
Our detailed flood river models are cost-effective, giving your development the best chance to achieve planning approval.
Flood Warning and Evacuation Plans
Flood Risk Mitigation
We provide independent, impartial and professional advice to property owners, developers, businesses and communities wanting to mitigate and reduce the impact of flooding.
Drainage Strategies
Flood Maps
Supporting Flood Risk Services for Planning Applications
Depending on site location and planning requirements, a Flood Risk Assessment may need to be supported by additional flood risk services as part of a planning submission.
Frequently Asked Questions
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) has determined that any new development or change of use requires a flood risk assessment to make sure the development is safe and does not cause flood impact to others. The NPPF and its Technical Guidance is based on law and all the councils should ensure that it is followed. From a planning perspective, Flood Risk Assessments are primarily used by local authorities to confirm that flood risk has been properly considered and addressed in line with policy, rather than to over-engineer minor development proposals.
The flood risk assessments approved by the Environment Agency and the Local Council. The approval level depend on the size of the development, flood risk type and user vulnerability.
The Local Council approves the flood risk assessments for small developments with run-off flood risk and less vulnerable users. The Environment Agency approves flood risk assessment for all development affected by flood risk from rivers and sea. You can protect your development by using the Nature Based Solutions.
A flood risk assessment is required when making a planning application for a development which is located in the floodplain or in an area affected by flooding.
It is because the Environment Agency has the flood water level information for all the major rivers in England. Their statutory response time is 21 working days.
The Environment Agency runs the hydraulic model for the river and produces a Detailed Flood Risk Assessment Map, including flood zones, flood defences, storage areas, areas benefiting from defences, statutory main river designations, historic flood event outlines and more detailed information of computer river models
A hydraulic model is a mathematical model which can predict the likely water levels and the flood extent of the river. We use hydraulic modes when the Environment Agency does not have the river levels. Rida Reports integrates the management of water within towns and developments and helps you to determine the flood depths.
Flood Zones 2 and 3 are flood risk areas. They are determined by storm event probability. There are 4 flood river zones in England. Flood Zone 1 has low flood risk, flood zone 2 has a medium flood risk and flood zone 3 has the highest flood risk.
Flood zone 3 is divided into Flood Zone 3a and 3b.
Flood Zone 3b is an area that the river can use as flood water storage. Flood zone 3a is the watercourse bed or the functional flood plain. This is the area that is used constantly by flood water.
You know if your property is in the river flood zone by:
Consulting the Environment Agency flood risk map for planning
Determining if part of the house or development is within the blue area i.e. flood zone 2 or a flood zone 3
Obtaining the property ground levels and river flood levels if you are within flood zone 2 or 3. You can obtain the river levels directly from the Environment Agency
Sending an e-mail to enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk requesting the Product 4 information. Attach a drawing showing the location of your property and the post code
Determining the levels of your property by instructing a Topographical Surveyor to complete a level survey of your house. The levels must be in mAOD
Comparing the Environment Agency flood levels and your property levels
Your property is in a flood zone 2 or a flood zone 3 if the flood levels are higher than your property levels
We can help you with this process and clearly indicate if your property is in the flood zone. We can also help you determine the best ways to protect your property from flooding.
To find out if you are at risk of flooding in England you could follow these actions:
Consult the Environment Agency long term flood risk from surface water map
Consult the Environment Agency flood risk map for planning
Consult the Environment Agency flood risk from reservoirs map
Contact your local council asking them for the surface water flood maps for your area and about the risk of groundwater flooding. Send an e-mail to either the Highways department or the local Planning office
The local council can be found On the gov.uk website by using the post code of the property
Send an e-mail to: enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk requesting the Product 4 information. Compare the river levels against your property levels
It is not possible to determine if an individual property is at risk of flooding from the maps. Your property can be at risk of flooding even if it is located at the border of a flood risk areas
The best way to determine if your house is at risk of flooding is by comparing the flood levels and the levels of your property. You then add the climate change allowance to all these levels.
The climate chance allowance for England varies between 600mm to 1100mm. This will give a better idea of the depth of flood and allows you to prepare in advance for a flood.
The models are updated every 3 months and the levels given by the Environment Agency should be taken as guidance only. It is important to recognise that flood events can be higher.
For instance in England the Environment Agency gives levels for 1 in 100 and 1 in 200 storm events while in the Netherlands and Germany the levels are for 1 in 500 storm events.
We can help you clearly identify the level of risk that you property has and the steps that you can take to protect your property.