When do you actually need a Flood Risk Assessment?

Not every application needs a Flood Risk Assessment, but more sites trigger the requirement than most clients expect. The starting point is the Environment Agency flood map, but zone alone is not the whole story. Sites of half a hectare or more, sites within Critical Drainage Areas, and sites where surface water flooding is a known local issue can all be pulled into scope even in Flood Zone 1. Our advice is always the same, check early. An FRA scoped and written after a planning refusal takes longer and costs more than one commissioned alongside the original application, and we can usually tell you within a day of seeing a site plan whether one will be needed.