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Development and Flood Risk Challenges and Opportunities

Aaron Dixey Flood Risk Policy Advisor

Outline
Challenges we face The Environment Agencys role PPS25 its key objectives Opportunities to manage flood

risk

The scale of the problem

>5m people at risk in England / Wales (NAFRA)

2m properties at risk in England / Wales (NAFRA) 200 billion of assets are in floodplains (NAFRA)

Food risk comes from many sources

Fluvial Coastal Surface water Ground water Overland flows Sewers & drainage systems Reservoirs, lakes, canals

Understanding flood risk

Pathway (defended or not) Source (River or sea) Receptor (Flood plain)

Risk = Probability x Consequence

Source and Pathway contribute to probability Impact on Receptor contributes to consequence

Flood Map

Climate change impacts

Change in precipitation by 2080s

Wetter winters Drier summers Greater frequency of intense rainfall events Increased storminess

Hadley Centre

Environment Agency Strategic Overview the vision

All flood risks are: Strategic- Overview - Vision assessed - mapped - understood - managed collaboratively, efficiently and holistically

Floods and Water Bill

Environment Agency and planning

Advisor on environmental and sustainability issues Statutory consultee on strategic and individual planning matters

PPS25 - location, layout, design

How PPS25 works

Avoid development in risk areas Locate development away from flood risk

Assess risk

Risk based sequential approach

PPS25 FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT HIERARCHY

Step 1
Assess
Appropriate flood risk assessment

Step 2
Avoid
Apply the Sequential Test

Step 3
Substitute
Apply the Sequential approach at site level

Step 4 Control
SUDS, design, flood defences

Step 5
Mitigate
Flood resilient construction

Flood Map

SFRA map of residual risk

Medium risk High risk: Significant depth

High risk: Rapid Inundation Zone Low risk: island

Managing flooding through site design

Diglis, Worcester

Managing flooding by design - SuDS

Managing flooding through detail design

Mast Quay, Woolwich

Maximising the opportunities

Making the most of the highest flood risk areas Holistic flood management Flood storage Recreation areas and public space Biodiversity and landscaping

Summary
Meeting the challenges of managing flood risk by:

Assessing risk from all forms of flooding Taking account of climate change

Working with nature to inform location, layout and design

Using flood risk challenges as community and placemaking opportunities

Creating safe, sustainable and thriving communities