Policy information sourced from the Elmbridge Core Strategy

CS26 - Flooding

In order to reduce the overall and local risk of flooding in the Borough:

  • Development must be located, designed and laid out to ensure that it is safe; the risk from flooding is minimised whilst not increasing the risk of flooding elsewhere; and that residual risks are safely managed. Planning permission therefore will only be granted, or land allocated for development where it can be demonstrated that:
    • Through a sequential test it is located in the lowest appropriate flood risk zone in accordance with PPS25 and the Elmbridge Strategic Flood Risk Assessment.
    • It would not constrain the natural function of the flood plain, either by impeding flood flow or reducing storage capacity.
    • Where sequential and exceptions tests have been undertaken, any development that takes place where there is a risk of flooding will need to ensure that flood mitigation measures are integrated into the design to minimise the risk to property and life should flooding occur.
  • Permitted development rights for development which could result in a loss of flood storage capacity or impede flood flow will be removed from new developments in flood zone 3, in order to ensure the risk of flooding is not increased through unregulated development.
  • In the event that development takes place in flood zones 2 or 3, the Council will require flood resistance and resilience measures in line with current Environment Agency advice(70) , and advice included within the Elmbridge SFRA.(71)
  • New developments will need to contain SuDS, in line with the Council’s Climate Neutral Development Checklist.(72) All development within flood zones 2 and 3 will require surface water runoff to be controlled, as near to its source as possible, and at greenfield rates. Where SuDS have not been used in these areas the applicant should justify these reasons.
  • For the classification of flood zones, the Council will take account of the recommendations of the most recent Strategic Flood Risk Assessment, and reclassify to take account of climate change and the protection of dry islands surrounded by high flood risk areas (see CS14-Green Infrastructure and CS15-Biodiversity).
  • The Council will support recommendations contained within the Lower Thames Strategy, provided that these do not result in an unacceptable impact on the local environment.
  • The Council will protect all undeveloped flood plains such as Desborough Island and Hurst Park, East Molesey, from non-flood compatible uses, and promote flood-compatible ones in accordance with PPS25.

For more information please see the Elmbridge Core Strategy