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Environment Agency Householder Flood Risk Assessment Form

Summary

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Guidance for planning applications for small household or other minor extensions in Flood Zones 2 and 3, where the added footprint is no more than 250 square metres and no new dwelling is created. It asks applicants to complete a table of flood mitigation measures to show flood risk has been addressed, and asks planning authorities to ensure suitable measures are included. Applicants must either set floor levels no lower than existing levels with appropriate flood-resilience and resistance measures, or raise floor levels at least 300 mm above the known or modelled 1% annual river flood level or 0.5% annual sea flood level, supported by plans showing levels relative to Ordnance Datum. It advises avoiding basement extensions in flood-risk areas and opposes self-contained basement dwellings in Flood Zone 3. It notes that cumulative impacts of minor works can increase flood risk and explains that impermeable front-garden paving over 5 square…
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Version 3.1

Advice issued: April 2012

Environment Agency

Householder and other minor extensions in Flood Zones 2 and 3

Applications for planning permission should be accompanied by a completed form. An electronic version can be submitted by “printing” it to a PDF writer.

This guidance is for domestic extensions and non-domestic extensions where the additional footprint created by the development does not exceed 250 sq. metres. It should NOT be applied if an additional dwelling is being created, e.g. a self contained annex.

We recommend that:

Planning Authorities:

  1. Refer the applicant to the standing advice pages on the Environment Agency website or provide them with a copy of this page for them to include as part of the planning application submission.
  2. Check the planning application to ensure that one or other of the mitigation measures from the table below has been incorporated.

Applicants:

Complete the table below and include it with the planning application submission. The table, together with the supporting evidence, will form the Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) and will act as an assurance to the Local Planning Authority (LPA) that flood risk issues have been adequately addressed.

Applicant to choose one or other of the flood risk mitigation measures below Applicant to provide the LPA with the supporting information detailed below as part of their FRA Applicant to indicate their choice in the box below. Enter “yes” or “no”

Either:

Floor levels within the proposed development will be set no lower than existing levels AND, flood proofing of the proposed development has been incorporated where appropriate.

Details of any flood proofing / resilience or resistance techniques, to be included in accordance with ‘Improving the flood performance of new buildings’ CLG (2007).

Or;

Floor levels within the extension will be set 300mm above the known or modelled 1 in 100 annual probability river flood (1%) or 1 in 200 annual probability sea flood (0.5%) in any year. This flood level is the extent of the Flood Zones

This must be demonstrated by a plan that shows finished floor levels relative to the known or modelled flood level. All levels should be stated in relation to Ordnance Datum1.

Subterranean/basement extensions

Due to the risk of rapid inundation by floodwater basements should be avoided in areas at risk of flooding. The LPA may hold additional guidance for basement extensions.

Self-contained basement dwellings are ‘highly vulnerable’ development and should not be permitted in Flood Zone 3. We are opposed to these developments.

Continued...

1 Ordnance Datum or the abbreviation ‘OD’ is the mean level of the sea at Newlyn in Cornwall from which heights above sea level are taken. The contour lines on Ordnance Survey maps measure heights above OD for example, though these are not accurate enough for a flood risk assessment.

Version 3.1

Advice issued: April 2012

Environment Agency

Cumulative impact of minor extensions and the removal of Permitted Development rights.

There is potential for the cumulative impact of minor extensions to have a significant effect on flood risk. Where local knowledge (Strategic Flood Risk Assessment held by the LPA/information provided by the parish council) suggests this is the case the guidance contained in FRA guidance note 2 should be applied. FRA guidance note 2 can also be applied where permitted development rights have been removed for flood risk reasons. The Environment Agency does not usually comment on minor development in this category.

Permeable paving and changes to permitted development rights for householders

On the 1st October 2008 the General Permitted Development Order (GPDO) in England was amended by the Government (Statutory Instrument 2008 No. 2362).

One of the changes introduced by the GPDO amendment is the removal of permitted development rights for householders wishing to install hard surfacing in front gardens which exceeds 5sq. metres (i.e. 1m x 5 m) without making provision to ensure permeability. This means that use of traditional materials, such as impermeable concrete, where there is no facility in place to ensure permeability, requires an application for planning permission.

In order to help and advise householders of the options for achieving permeability and meeting the condition for permitted development status the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) has produced guidance on permeable paving which can be found on the following link http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/pavingfrontgardens

The Environment Agency supports the GDPO amendment as it is in line with the recommendations of the Pitt Report regarding the need to better tackle the impact of surface water flooding. However, Local Planning Authorities should determine these applications in accordance with the CLG guidance without consulting the Environment Agency.

End of comment

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