Policy information sourced from the Tower Hamlets Local Plan

D.ES4 Flood risk

1) Development is required to be located in areas suitable for the vulnerability level of the proposed uses with:

  • highly vulnerable uses not allowed within flood zone 3a
  • essential infrastructure and more vulnerable uses within flood zone 3a required to pass the exception test, and
  • highly vulnerable uses within flood zone 2 required to pass the exception test.

B) Development is required to provide a flood risk assessment if it meets any of the following criteria:

  • The development site is over 1 hectare in size within flood zone 1 
  • The site is within flood zones 2 or 3a
  • The development may be subject to other sources of flooding, as defined in the Tower Hamlets Strategic Flood Risk Assessment.

3) The flood risk assessment should include:

  • A sequential test if the development is in flood zone 2 or 3 
  • The risks of both on and off-site flooding to and from the development for all sources of flooding including fluvial, tidal, surface run-off, groundwater, ordinary watercourse, sewer and reservoir
  • An assessment of tidal risk in the event of a breach in the River Thames defences
  • The impact of climate change using the latest government guidance
  • Demonstration of safe access and egress, and
  • Mitigation measures, taking account of the advice and recommendations set out in the Tower Hamlets Strategic Flood Risk Assessment.

4) Site design of development which meets criteria outlined in Part 2 above is required to:

  • undertake a sequential approach to development layout to direct highest vulnerability uses to areas of the site with lowest flood risk, and
  • incorporate flood resilience and/or resistance measures.

5) Development is required to protect and where possible increase the capacity of existing water spaces and flood storage areas to retain water.

6) Development is required to enable effective flood risk management through:

  • requiring development along the River Thames and the River Lea and its tributaries to be set back by the following distances unless significant constraints are evidenced:
    • A minimum of a 16-metre buffer strip along a tidal river, and
    • A minimum of a 8-metre buffer strip along a fluvial river.
  • optimising opportunities to realign or set back defences and improve the riverside frontage to provide amenity space and environmental enhancement.

For more information please see the Local Plan