Gloucestershire Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA)

The County Council and the six districts are working together to produce a countywide Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA).

In December 2007 Gloucestershire County Council, Cheltenham Borough Council, Cotswold District Council, Forest of Dean District Council, Gloucester City Council, Stroud District Council and Tewkesbury Borough Council commissioned Halcrow to produce a Level 1 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) in accordance with Planning Policy Statement 25 (PPS 25). The outputs from the SFRA will give the County Council the necessary information to inform the Minerals and Waste Development Framework (MWDF) to ensure due regard is paid to flood risk in the creation of policies and plans. A level one SFRA has been produced for each of the seven local authorities involved.

The aim of the SFRA is to map all forms of flood risk and use this as an evidence base to locate new development primarily in low flood risk areas (Zone 1). Areas of 'low' (zone 1), 'medium' (zone 2) and 'high' (zone 3) risk are mapped using data collected from many sources, including the Environment Agency (Midlands and Thames regions), Gloucestershire Highways, Severn Trent, British Waterways as well as the six district councils.

Whilst the Level 1 SFRA is primarily a desk based study, it has incorporated new data from the 2007 floods. It will allow the County Council to assess the proposed mineral and waste site allocations within the flood risk vulnerability and flood zone compatibility as outlined in PPS 25 and how the 'Sequential and Exception Test' should be applied. The 'Sequential Test' is a sieving process, allocating as many sites as possible that avoid zones 2 and 3.

The Level 1 SFRA involves:

•  Establishing relationships and understanding the planning context;
•  Gathering data and analysing it for suitability;
•  Producing strategic flood risk maps, GIS deliverables and a technical report; and
•  Providing suitable guidance.

 Gloucestershire Level 1 SFRA Exec Summary FINAL [1.4Mb] [Opens in New Window]  

 Gloucestershire County Council Minerals & Waste Level 1 SFRA FINAL [4.0Mb] [Opens in New Window]

 Cheltenham Borough Council Level 1 SFRA FINAL [6.0Mb] [Opens in New Window]     Appendix B - Map Tile Index, Cheltenham Borough Council [135kb] [Opens in New Window]

 Cotswold District Council Level 1 SFRA FINAL [6.5Mb] [Opens in New Window]     Appendix B - Map Tile Index, Cotswold District Council [178kb] [Opens in New Window]     Appendix F - Groundwater Emergence Map, Cotswold [90kb] [Opens in New Window]

 Forest of Dean District Council Level 1 SFRA FINAL [6.2Mb] [Opens in New Window]     Appendix B - Map Tile Index, Forest of Dean District Council [127kb] [Opens in New Window]

 Gloucester City Council Level 1 SFRA FINAL [5.9Mb] [Opens in New Window]     Appendix B - Map Tile Index, Gloucester City Council [133kb] [Opens in New Window]

 Stroud District Council Level 1 SFRA FINAL [6.5Mb] [Opens in New Window]     Appendix B - Map Tile Index, Stroud District Council [162kb] [Opens in New Window]

 Tewkesbury Borough Council Level 1 SFRA FINAL [6.4Mb] [Opens in New Window]     Appendix B - Map Tile Index, Tewkesbury Borough Council [158kb] [Opens in New Window]

Please note that the following appendices A, C, D & E are relevant for all district SFRA's and Minerals & Waste SFRA's

 Appendix A - Letter from the Environment Agency [216kb] [Opens in New Window]

 Appendix C - Sequential Test Process [1.8Mb] [Opens in New Window]

 Appendix D - Environment Agency Flood Zones [355kb] [Opens in New Window]

 Appendix E - Pitt Review Reccomendations [51kb] [Opens in New Window]

Where it is found that some sites can only be placed in 'medium' or 'high' risk areas, a Level 2 SFRA is required which carries out the 'Exception Test' as set out in PPS 25. The 'Exception Test' is only appropriate for use when there are large areas in flood zones 2 and 3, where the sequential test alone cannot deliver acceptable sites and where some continuing development is necessary for wider sustainable development reasons.

Each respective local authority in Gloucestershire will be commissioning a Level 2 SFRA in accordance with the requirements of their respective Local Development Scheme.

Level 2 SFRA potential outputs include:

• An appraisal of the condition of flood defence infrastructure and likely future policy;
• An appraisal of the probability and consequence of breach or overtopping of flood defence infrastructure;
• Maps showing distribution of flood risk across zones; and
• Guidance on the preparation of flood risk assessments for sites with varying flood risk across the flood zone.

A Level 2 assessment of strategic waste sites has been commissioned and this will help with the assessment of strategic site waste options due for public participation in August/September 2009. Please see the Minerals and Waste Policy pages for further information on this.

The SFRA maps can be viewed at the following link:Strategic Flood Risk Assessment Map [Opens in New Window]