Planning Policy Wales - Brecon Beacons National Park

even at times of flood, to result in no net loss of floodplain storage, to not impede water flows
and to not increase flood risk elsewhere. 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 2 .
13.3.3 The Environment Agency has a key role in advising and helping planning authorities and
developers to understand the causes and effects of flooding within a river catchment and early
consultation with them is recommended 3 . Further useful information is available in Catchment Flood
Management Plans 4 and River Basin Management Plans 5 .
13.4 Development control and flood risk
13.4.1 Development proposals in areas defined as being of high flood hazard should only be
considered where:
• new development can be justified in that location, even though it is likely to be at risk from
flooding; and
• the development proposal would not result in the intensification of existing development which
may itself be at risk; and
• new development would not increase the potential adverse impacts of a flood event (and see
12.4.1 and 12.4.2).
13.4.2 In determining applications for development, local planning authorities should work closely
with the Environment Agency, drainage bodies, sewerage undertakers, prospective developers
and other relevant authorities to ensure that surface water run-off is to be controlled as near to the
source as possible by the use of sustainable urban drainage systems 6 7 . They should also ensure that
development does not:
• increase the risk of flooding elsewhere by loss of flood storage or flood flow route; or
• increase the problem of surface water run-off (and see 12.4.1 and 12.4.2).
13.4.3 It is essential that the Environment Agency’s advice is obtained and given due weight as
a material consideration by planning authorities in determining individual planning applications.
Planning authorities must have good reasons for not following the advice of the Environment Agency,
and these should be reported to the Environment Agency prior to planning permission being
granted, enabling them to consider submitting further representations. Where detailed information
in respect of flood risk is not available, local planning authorities should require developers to carry
out detailed technical investigations to evaluate the extent of the risk.
13.4.4 Planning authorities should bear in mind that the Environment Agency will not automatically
provide or extend a flood warning service. The Environment Agency has demanding targets to
meet and any increase in the number of new properties requiring a flood warning service will make
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Planning Policy Wales Edition 3 - July 2010 - Chapter 13 Minimising and Managing Environmental
Risks and Pollution