Policy information sourced from Spelthorne Core Strategy and Policies Development Plan Document

LO1: Flooding

The Council will seek to reduce flood risk and its adverse effects on people and property in Spelthorne by:

  • supporting appropriate comprehensive flood risk management measures within or affecting the Borough which are agreed by the Environment Agency,
  • reducing the risk of flooding from surface water and its contribution to fluvial flooding by requiring all developments of one or more dwellings and all other development over 100m² of floorspace in the Borough to have appropriate sustainable drainage schemes,
  • maintaining flood storage capacity within Flood Zone 3 by refusing any form of development on undeveloped sites which reduces flood storage capacity or impedes the flow of flood water,
  • maintaining the effectiveness of the more frequently flooded area (Zone 3b) of the floodplain to both store water and allow the movement of fast flowing water by not permitting any additional development including extensions,
  • not permitting residential development or change of use or other ‘more vulnerable’ uses within Zone 3a or ‘highly vulnerable uses’ within Zone 2 where flood risks cannot be overcome,
  • supporting the redevelopment of existing developed sites in the urban area in Zones 3a and 3b for ‘less vulnerable’ uses where:
    • a minimum increase of flood storage capacity of 20% can be secured (all flood storage areas to be effective at all times throughout the lifetime of the structure/use and do not create unacceptable risks to people in times of flood),
    • it reduces impedance to the flow of flood water where there would be flowing flood water,
    • appropriate access for the maintenance of water courses is maintained,
    • there is no adverse impact on the integrity and effectiveness of flood defence structures.
  • requiring any development in Zones 2, 3a and 3b to be designed to be flood resilient/resistant,
  • requiring all development proposals within Zones 2, 3a and 3b, and development outside this area (Zone 1) on sites of 0.5ha or of 10 dwellings or 1000m2 of non-residential development or more, to be supported by an appropriate Flood Risk Assessment.

For more information please see the Core Strategy and Policies Development Plan Document