Documents

Strategic flood risk assessment good practice guide

This guide provides practical information and advice for Local Planning Authorities, and others who support them, on how to scope, produce and use strategic flood risk assessments to fulfil national planning policy requirements efficiently and effectively.

It supports existing Environment Agency guidance ‘how to prepare a strategic flood risk assessment’ and government guidance on how to apply the sequential test and exception test.

Evidence shows that existing guidance is applied well to assess flood risks from main rivers, the sea, and ordinary watercourses. Further advice is provided here to ensure that other sources of flooding, from surface water, groundwater, sewers, reservoirs and canals, are also assessed, when scoping, developing and using the SFRA.

The advice has been informed by research undertaken by the Environment Agency (2018-2020) and in consultation with others who provide advice on spatial planning (FRS18204: Using flood risk information in spatial planning research is published by the Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Research and Development Programme - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)).

The Environment Agency will review the guide in June 2022 and update it using feedback provided.Provide your feedback here.