What is a Flood Risk Activity Permit — and How Does It Relate to My FRA?
If your project needed a Flood Risk Assessment to support a planning application, that’s often only part of the picture. A Flood Risk Activity Permit (FRAP) is a separate environmental permit from the Environment Agency, required for the physical works themselves once planning is granted — not instead of your FRA, but potentially in addition to it.
Put simply: your FRA assesses and supports the application; your FRAP is the legal permission to actually carry out the work near a main river, flood defence, or sea defence. Many projects that needed an FRA for planning go on to need a FRAP before construction can start.
Do You Need a Flood Risk Activity Permit?
If your FRA identified that your site sits near a main river, flood defence, or sea defence, it’s worth checking whether a FRAP applies too. You’re likely to need one if your project involves work:
- Within 8 metres of a main river, flood defence structure, or culvert
- Within 16 metres of a sea flood defence
- On the floodplain, even if you're further than these distances away, if the work doesn't have planning permission
If your development has full planning permission and sits outside these distances, you typically won’t need a FRAP. Since we’ve likely already reviewed your site’s flood risk as part of your FRA, we can confirm quickly whether a FRAP is also required — get in touch and we’ll check for you.
Permit Types
Not every project needs the same level of assessment. We offer three routes, depending on your project's scale and risk — separate from your Flood Risk Assessment cost, since a FRAP is a distinct permit with its own fee structure:
| Tier | Price | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Exception Registration | From £350 | We assess the permit and make the relevant exception application, for lower-risk works that qualify. |
| Standard Rules Permit | From £450 | We make a rules permit application based on your specific activities — for projects that fit the Environment Agency's pre-defined conditions. |
| Bespoke Permit | From £1,200 | We liaise with the Environment Agency until you receive your permit — for higher-risk or more complex projects requiring a tailored assessment. |
How We Handle Your FRAP Application
- 1Review We review your project details and establish which type of permit is required.
- 2Consult We assess the environmental risk for the site, including consultation of Environment Agency datasets, habitat surveys, and construction activities that could impact the environment.
- 3Submit We prepare and submit your application to the Environment Agency, with all required supporting documents.
- 4Liaise We liaise with the Environment Agency on your behalf until your permit is issued, keeping you updated throughout.
Why a FRAP Matters
Carrying out regulated works without a Flood Risk Activity Permit is a legal offence — it cannot be resolved retroactively once work has started. The Environment Agency can require remediation (including removing or altering completed work), issue fines, and pursue prosecution for non-compliance. Delays caused by unpermitted work being stopped mid-project are almost always more costly than the permit itself would have been. See GOV.UK's guidance on flood risk activities for full regulatory detail.
Not sure if your project needs a FRAP? We can confirm quickly based on your site location and planning status — get in touch before work begins.
Frequently Asked Questions
No — a FRAP is a separate environmental permit from the Environment Agency, required in addition to (not instead of) planning permission.
Timescales vary by permit type — exception and standard rules applications are typically faster than bespoke permits, which require a more detailed assessment.
It's a legal offence. The Environment Agency can require you to stop work, remediate what's been done, and may pursue fines or prosecution.
Possibly both — an FRA supports your planning application, while a FRAP covers the physical works near a river or flood defence. We can confirm exactly what your project needs.
Yes. We can review your existing FRA and site details to confirm whether a FRAP is required and handle the application on your behalf.
Get Your Flood Risk Activity Permit Application Started
Not sure which permit type you need? Get in touch and we'll assess your project for free.
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