Planning Policy and Guidance on Flooding and Coastal Erosion

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1 Planning Policy and Guidance on Flooding and Coastal Erosion James Hooker (MRTPI) Senior Planning Manager Welsh Government RTPI Cymru - Water and Flooding Seminar Tuesday 20 th November 2012

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3 Overview Planning Policy Wales TAN14: Coast TAN15: Flood Risk DAM Maps Zone C2 Zone C1 - Justification Test Assessing Flood Consequence Flooding Consequences Role of EAW & LPA Responsibility Notification Direction A bit late?

4 Planning Policy Wales Chapter Five Heritage & Coast [Coastal] areas subject to constraints or considered unsuitable for development may include those where conservation or enhancement of the natural and historic environment requires development to be limited, where visual intrusion will need carefully to be considered and where there may be risks of erosion, flooding or land instability. options for coastal defence may include a policy of managed set back

5 Shoreline management plans will establish long-term local policy frameworks for the management of coastal risk. The priorities contained within them should influence and inform the preparation of development plans. Before major developments are permitted it will be essential to demonstrate that a coastal location is required. Where development is considered to satisfy this test it should be designed so as to be resilient to the effects of climate change over its lifetime.

6 New coastal development should not generally be permitted in areas which would need expensive engineering works, either to protect developments on land subject to erosion by the sea or to defend land which might be inundated by the sea. There is also the need to consider the possibility of such works causing a transfer of risks to other areas, bearing in mind also that erosion and the risk of inundation are likely to be exacerbated by climate change.

7 Chapter 13 Minimising & Managing Environmental Risks How much water? June 2012 panoramio.com EA River Gauge River Leri nr Dolybont

8 Flood Risk Flood risk, whether inland or from the sea, is a material consideration in land use planning. Local planning authorities should recognise that it will be inappropriate to locate certain types of development such as schools, hospitals, residential development and emergency services within some areas defined as being of high flood hazard. In such areas, local planning authorities should ensure that only appropriate land allocations are made during the preparation of development plans.

9 Government resources for flood and coastal defence projects are directed at protecting existing developments and are not available to provide defences in anticipation of future development. Panarimo.com

10 A sustainable approach to flooding will therefore involve the avoidance of development in flood hazard areas and, where possible or practical, the encouragement of managed retreat, the creation of wash-lands and flood plain restoration.

11 TAN14 Coastal Planning It is for each LPA to consider and define the most appropriate coastal zone in its area. Proposals for development need to consider the potential need for remedial and defence works and the likely effects on physical & biological processes along the coast. Development plan policies should not provide for development on the coast which does not require a coastal location.

12 TAN14 - continued Policies will specifically be needed to control or restrict development in: low lying coastal areas; on land close to eroding cliffs or other eroding coastline; and on land subject to instability. Onus rests on the developer to provide sufficient and appropriate information to demonstrate that proposed sites can be safely developed without significant adverse effects.

13 TAN15: Development & Flood Risk Development Advice Maps (September 2009) Based on EA s flood maps, and identify the 0.1% extreme flood risk area. 0.1% flood outline is divided into two zones: C1 areas of the floodplain which are developed and served by significant infrastructure, including flood defences C2 areas of the floodplain without significant flood defence infrastructure

14 Online Development Advice Maps DAM maps are now available online at

15 TAN15 Zone C2 Figure 1 (page 5) identifies that only less vulnerable development should be considered in Zone C2. Section 6 identifies that In Zone C the tests outlined in sections 6 & 7 will be applied, recognising, however that highly vulnerable development and Emergency Services in Zone C2 should not be permitted.

16 Section 9 (Summary of Policy Requirements) states in respect to Zone C2: Developer 3 Developer 1 The flooding consequences associated with Emergency Services and highly vulnerable development are not considered to be Developer 2 acceptable. Plan allocations should not be made for such development and planning applications not proposed.

17 TAN15 Zone C1 Section 6 Justification Test i) Local authority regeneration initiative or stategy [development plan] required to sustain an existing settlement, or, ii) contribute to key employment objectives supported by the local authority, and other key partners to sustain an existing settlement or region, and, iii) concurs with the aims of PPW and meets the definition of previously developed land; and,

18 iv) Potential consequences of a flooding event for the particular type of development have been considered, and in terms of the criteria contained in sections 5 and 7 and appendix 1 found to be acceptable.

19 TAN15 Appendix 1 Assessing Flooding Consequences A1.12 A site should only be considered for development if the following conditions can be satisfied: -Flood defences shown to be structurally adequate under extreme overtopping conditions - Cost of future maintenance for all new/approved mitigation measures must be accepted by the developer and agreed with the Environment Agency - Developer must ensure that future occupiers are aware of flooding risks and consequences

20 - Effective flood warnings are provided at the site. - Escape/Evacuation routes are shown be the developer to be operational under all conditions.

21 - Development is designed to minimise structural damage during a flood event, and is flood proofed to enable it to be returned to its prime use quickly in the aftermath of the flood.

22 -No flooding elsewhere Table A1:14 Threshold for which development should be designed to be flood free. Table A1:15 Thresholds for residual risk in extreme 0.1% flood event.

23 Role of EAW/ LPA responsibility EAW will provide technical advice on the content of a flood consequence assessment. EAW may object where from a technical perspective there is an unacceptable risk in flood risk management terms. EAW will not comment on the acceptability of emergency access and egress. Response letters clearly state: Your Authority, in liaison with other appropriate bodies, should ensure that you are satisfied with the identified access/egress routes and their acceptability for emergency access purposes.

24 LPA is therefore responsible for determining that escape and evacuation routes are shown by the developer to be operational under all conditions.

25 Notification Direction New requirement for local planning authorities to refer applications for emergency services or highly vulnerable development, where the whole of the land where the development is proposed to be located, is within flood zone C2, shown on the development advice map (DAM). In cases consisting of residential development, the threshold for requiring notification is set at 10 or more dwellings, including flats.

26 Thank you Introductory Briefing: Transport James Hooker