Flood Risk Assessment for Class MA Prior Approval
Site-Specific Flood Risk Evidence for Office-to-Residential Conversion
This assessment is confined to the flood-risk matters affecting your Class MA office-to-residential proposal. RIDA reviews the site, proposed residential use and available evidence before defining a proportionate scope. Our Flood Risk Assessments for Planning Permission cover the wider planning service.
Get A Free No Obligation QuoteSend your site address and proposed plans.
Get A Free No Obligation QuoteWhat You Will Receive
| Technical deliverable | How you can use it |
|---|---|
| A site-specific Class MA Flood Risk Assessment report. | Submit proportionate flood-risk evidence with your prior-approval application. |
| Review of your conversion plans, flood mapping, planning context and available site or authority data. | Identify the flood matters that need evidence or a design response. |
| Assessment of relevant flood sources, residential vulnerability and residual risk. | Show how flood risk has been addressed for the proposed homes. |
| Site-led recommendations covering levels, resistance, resilience, access or escape where justified. | Inform your drawings, application package and response to technical queries. |
What the Assessment Needs to Address
Flood zones, residential vulnerability and other flood sources
Changing commercial premises to homes alters the proposed vulnerability context. The assessment scope is not set by Flood Zone 1, 2 or 3 mapping alone. River, sea, surface water, groundwater, sewer, reservoir and other credible sources are reviewed against the site and available evidence.
Planning policy context is set out in the Flood risk and coastal change Planning Practice Guidance. Mapped river and sea zones can be reviewed through the Environment Agency Flood Map for Planning. You can check the long-term flood risk for an area across several sources.
Send These Details for a Class MA FRA Quotation
- Site address or postcode — to review the location-specific planning and flood context.
- Location plan and existing and proposed drawings — to define the conversion and assessment area.
- Proposed unit numbers and use details — to confirm the residential proposal.
- Prior-approval documents or planning correspondence — to identify stated authority or consultee requirements.
- Available flood, drainage, level or survey information — to establish what evidence is already held.
- Target submission date — to plan the agreed work programme.
RIDA will review your information before confirming the technical scope and quotation. See how site and evidence requirements can affect flood risk assessment costs.
Class MA Flood Risk Assessment FAQs
Do I need a Flood Risk Assessment for Class MA prior approval?
A site-specific FRA may be required where flood risk is a prior-approval matter for the proposal. The need and scope depend on current Class MA provisions, site characteristics, local policy and consultation requirements.
What do you need from me to quote?
Send the site address, location plan, existing and proposed plans, use and unit details, planning correspondence, available surveys and your target date. These records allow RIDA to define the work and identify data gaps.
What will the Class MA Flood Risk Assessment include?
The report will cover the agreed site-specific scope, relevant flood sources, residential vulnerability, available flood data, residual risk and proportionate recommendations. Survey work or hydraulic modelling may be separately scoped if the initial review identifies a need.
Can RIDA respond if the planning authority or Environment Agency asks for further evidence?
RIDA can review technical queries relating to the agreed report. New surveys, modelling, design work or matters outside the original scope will be quoted separately.
Request a Class MA Flood Risk Assessment Quotation
Send your site address, proposed plans and target submission date. RIDA will review the available information and confirm an appropriate scope. The completed report will support your prior-approval submission but cannot guarantee approval.
Use the enquiry form or the approved telephone route in the site header.
Request a Quote