[ Initial review of the implementation of Planning Policy Statement 25 ]

Planning Policy Statement 25 Development and Flood Risk (PPS25) was published in December 2006 to ensure that flood risk is taken into account at all stages in the planning process. Sir Michael Pitt’s findings from his inquiry into the summer 2007 floods, published in June last year, recommended that there should be a presumption against building in high flood risk areas in accordance with PPS25, and that its operation and effectiveness should be kept under review and strengthened if and when necessary.

Initial review of the implementation of Planning Policy Statement 25, June 2009.

What does this mean for you and your business?

Our policy team has been working hard over the past few weeks evaluating the findings of the review of the implementation of Planning Policy Statement 25. We have summarised the key points below…

The Key Facts.

• Only a very small percentage of all applications made in a year raise flood risk issues requiring detailed consideration by the Environment Agency; in the vast majority of cases where the Agency objects on flood risk grounds, the final decision or outcome is in line with the Agency’s views.
• There also needs to be greater awareness of the requirement in PPS25 that developers must submit an adequate, though proportionate, flood risk assessment (FRA) with any planning application for development in flood risk areas, and for development of 1 hectare or more in Flood Zone 1.
• Two thirds of sustained objections by the Agency in 2007-08 were made because applications did not contain a FRA, or because the FRA was unsatisfactory. Compliance with PPS25 would likely have made the majority of those objections avoidable.

The Key Figures

• 10 per cent of England in terms of land area and population falls within flood risk areas.
• EA raised objections on flood risk grounds to 6,232 planning applications in 2007-08 – (just under 1% of all planning applications received by English planning authorities). This represents an increase of 24% compared with the 4,750 EA objections in 2006-07, probably reflecting at least in part the tighter Government policy in PPS25 (compared with the previous policy under PPG25).
• However, the number of planning applications where the EA is consulted which required detailed consideration on flood risk grounds has fallen continuously since 2004 (following EA Standing Advice on dealing with lower risk cases).
• The lack of, or the provision of an inadequate FRA remains the main reason for EA objections on flood risk grounds, increasing from 833 to 1101 cases (2006-07 and 2007-08); and proportionally from 62% to 67% of all objections.
• However, the number of objections resulting from a lack of a FRA fell from 567 to 505, and from 43% to 31% of all EA objections between 2006-07 and 2007-08, while objections over the adequacy of a FRA increased significantly from 266 to 596 and from 20% to 36% of all objections.

Need to find out more about PPS 25 and Food Risk Assessment? Contact us now for a free consultation on +44(0)1273 704 464 or click here to obtain your free quotation.

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