If you are reaching the end of your development planning stage, you might have heard your local planning office asking for a flood risk assessment (FRA) for planning. An FRA is a report that details the flood risk to a development site. It also provides recommendations for implementing measures to alleviate the impact of flooding on sight or the surrounding areas.
A flood risk assessment is generally required if your potential development falls under a flood zone as part of the planning permission application. It would be best to hire a principal designer to access the risks as part of the pre-construction phase. A principal designer would gather all the information that is required and fill in any gaps and also take care of all the safety aspects during construction.
When Would You Need An FRA?
If your development falls under the flood zone 2 or 3, or for sites in flood zone 1 greater or equal to 1 hectare in size, or if it is near a critical drainage area, a flood risk assessment would be required as per the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and the Environment Agency (EA) guidelines. You may also need a flood risk assessment if your development is taking place within 20 meters of an EA main river.
What Are The Main Objectives Of An FRA?
The main aim of a flood risk assessment is to find out
• If the proposed development would be affected by current or future flooding from any source
• Whether the right measures have been taken to deal with these effects and risks
• Whether the development will increase the risk of flooding elsewhere
Good planning can save a lot of costs. A flood risk assessment is not there to create more problems for you. It is there to support and advise you to establish safe routes in events of the flood, allocate vulnerable uses to the correct floor levels and to design a scheme that mitigates flood water. The FRA aims to guide you in your project so that it lasts longer and provides sustainable benefits to the area.
