Flood Risk for Planning Northern Ireland

Flood risk for planning is becoming an increasingly pertinent issue across Northern Ireland, the UK and Republic of Ireland.

What is Flood Risk for Planning?

When considering larger planning applications, authorities may ask for proof that the proposed development will not be at risk of flood and or increase the risk of flood to its surrounding area. To prove this, they will require a Flood Risk Assessment.

Why is Flood Risk for Planning necessary?

Flood risk for planning is often necessary when building in areas where flooding has been an issue in the past, but a Flood Risk Assessment can flag less obvious issues.

Flood risk for planning also takes into account the drainage of a proposed site. Whilst a site may not be at risk of flooding itself, there are circumstances that by developing a site, it may cause flooding to nearby properties or land, such as if the drainage at property is inefficient or interrupts the natural drainage processes at the site.

What happens when investigating Flood Risk for Planning?

An experienced Environmental Consultant will be able to investigate the Flood Risk to the proposed development. In some cases, this may be done by desk research of technical and historical documents proving there is little flood risk to the site.

In other cases, when assessing Flood Risk for planning, issues may be flagged, such as risk to the property or surrounding areas. In the vast majority of these cases, an experienced Environmental Consultant will be able to recommend steps and measures to overcome these risks. This allows your development to proceed safely, with no angry neighbours when your site is finished!

Who can do Flood Risk for Planning?

The UK Environment Agency recommends that for anything other than the smallest applications, “You’ll usually need a flood risk specialist to carry out the flood risk assessment for you.” Environmental Consultants who have relevant professional qualifications (such as a degree in Environmental Sciences, membership of related professional bodies etc) will be able to progress your flood risk for planning through scientific assessment.

Although some Environmental Consultancies may carry out a range of services, those specialising in Flood Risk Assessment will be the most knowledgeable about the intricacies of obtaining a successful Flood Risk Assessment for planning assessment.

Environmental Consultants who specialise in Flood Risk with a sizeable amount of experience and a positive working relationship with authorities will be most effective when assessing flood risk for planning. More importantly, they are the most likely to find a positive outcome for developers and authorities alike.

Any more questions about Flood Risk for Planning? 

OSM Environmental Consulting has a dedicated team of Flood Risk experts, headed up Director and Flood Risk Specialist, Micheál O’Sullivan BSc Hons MCIWM. Following his stint in NIEA, he has gone on to specialise in Flood Risk Assessment and has successfully planning for flood risk flagged sites throughout Northern Ireland, the UK and Republic of Ireland.

If you require more information about Flood Risk for Planning, get in touch with a member of the OSM team today.