Planning Strategy - Strategic Flood Risk Assessment

Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA)

In August 2007, Warwickshire County Council, Coventry City Council, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council and the Districts and Boroughs of Warwickshire commissioned consultants to produce a Level 1 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) in accordance with Planning Policy Statement 25 (PPS 25). The outputs from the SFRA will give the County Council the necessary information to inform the Minerals and Waste Development Framework (MWDF) to ensure due regard is paid to flood risk in the creation of policies and plans.

The aim of the SFRA is to map all forms of flood risk and use this as an evidence base to locate new development primarily in low flood risk areas (Zone 1). Areas of ‘low’ (zone 1), ‘medium’ (zone 2) and ‘high’ (zone 3) risk are mapped using data collected from many sources, including the Environment Agency, Warwickshire County Council, Severn Trent Water, the Highways Authority and British Waterways. This Level 1 SFRA is primarily a desk based study and will allow the Council to assess the proposed mineral and waste site allocations using the 'Sequential Test'. The 'Sequential Test' is a ‘sieving’ process, allocating as many sites as possible that avoid zones 2 and 3.

The Level 1 SFRA involves:

Establishing relationships and understanding the planning context.
Gathering data and analysing it for suitability.
Producing strategic flood risk maps and a technical report.
Providing suitable guidance.

Where it is found that some sites can only be placed in 'medium' or 'high' risk areas, a Level 2 SFRA is required (the 'Exception Test'). The Exception Test is only appropriate for use when there are large areas in Flood Zones 2 and 3, where the Sequential Test alone cannot deliver acceptable sites and where some continuing development is necessary for wider sustainable development reasons.

Level 2 SFRA outputs include:

An appraisal of the condition of flood defence infrastructure and likely future policy.
An appraisal of the probability and consequence of breach or overtopping of flood defence infrastructure.
Maps showing distribution of flood risk across zones.
Guidance on the preparation of flood risk assessments for sites with varying flood risk across the flood zone.

It is likely that consultants will also be required to undertake a level 2 study of strategic mineral sites and may be required (although it is unlikely,) for waste facilities.

The Level 1 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment exercise is now complete.

Level 1 SFRA Technical Report (PDF - 3.9 MB)
Warwickshire SFRA Flood Maps (Tiles B1-B20)

Due to the size of the files, tiles A1-20, C1, D1-2, E1 and F1 will be made available upon request. Please email planningstrategy@warwickshire.gov.uk or call (01926) 41 2538 for further information.

Further flood information and guidance can be found on the Environment Agency Website.

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