Water Levels and Flood Risk

It is strongly recommended that you contact the Environment Agency (EA) to establish their initial considerations, including advice on whether your site is in the flood plain and other water level or drainage issues to consider. This can be done using a Pre-Application Form (see link below) to ensure that all relevant information is available for the EA to assess.

Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) in England have to consult with the EA on most development proposals at risk from flooding. Planning Policy Statement 25 (PPS 25) 'Development and Flood Risk' and its associated Practice Guide set out Government policy and advice on the subject.

LPAs in Wales are advised to consult the EA on development proposals that are at risk from flooding through the Welsh Assembly's Technical Advice Note 15 (TAN 15) 'Development and Flood Risk'.

The EA provide technical advice to LPAs and developers on how best to avoid, manage and reduce the adverse impacts of flooding.

You should also discuss any flooding issues with British Waterways as there may be impacts on canal infrastructure. Discharges of surface water from rainfall events to the proposed marina basin or adjacent canal are generally not encouraged by British Waterways. This is because these flows occur when the canal system is already dealing with high flows. However, if you wish to make a proposal to discharge surface water from your site, either into the proposed basin or into our waterway, it will require our consent, please refer to the links below.

Please note that if you are proposing to include a dry dock as part of the marina, any transfer of water from the dry dock to other inland waters would be classed as an abstraction and would require a licence under the Water Act.

Surface Water Discharge
www.britishwaterways.co.uk/marinadevelopment/application/
legal_agreements.php
http://www.britishwaterways.co.uk/media/documents/CoPWaterAbstraction7.pdf

General EA Development and Flood Risk information
www.environment-agency.gov.uk/aboutus/512398/908812/
1351053/571633/?lang=_e

Planning Policy Statement 25 - 'Development and Flood Risk' (PPS 25)
www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/
pps25floodrisk

Practice Guide on PPS 25 - 'Development and Flood Risk'
www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/
developmentflood

Fact sheet on PPS 25 - 'Development and Flood Risk'
www.environment-agency.gov.uk/commondata/acrobat/
pps25factsheet_1657913.pdf

Developments in Wales - Technical Advice Note 15 - 'Development and Flood Risk' (TAN 15)
http://new.wales.gov.uk/about/departments/depc/epcpublications/
PlanPubs/TAN/TAN15?lang=en

Flood Map (enter postcode in box on right hand side of the website page)
www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/flood/?lang=_e

The Pre-Application Enquiry form
www.environment-agency.gov.uk/aboutus/512398/908812/
1351053/1351105/?version=1&lang=_e

Go to next section >