Zone 2 Flood Risk Assessment in Lewisham

Land Development Property Group Ltd completed construction of 14 flats and retained a parcel containing an existing garage. During pre-application consultation, the local authority indicated the site's location within Flood Zone 2 would trigger a Sequential Test requirement, likely resulting in refusal.

The initial pre-application response was described as "a firm no due to the sequential test requirement, which wouldn't have been passed." This appeared to present an insurmountable barrier to obtaining planning permission for the development.

Despite the Flood Zone 2 designation, Aegaea's flood risk consultants examined detailed flood model outputs carefully. They determined the site fell within the 1-in-100-year flood extent plus climate change allowance but that actual flood risk from all sources was demonstrably low when assessed at a site-specific level.

By combining detailed data analysis with policy expertise, the team developed a site-specific Flood Risk Assessment that demonstrated low flood risk and safe development potential. The assessment methodically addressed each source of flood risk and showed that the Flood Zone 2 designation did not reflect the true risk profile of the site.

The local authority accepted the assessment's evidence showing flooding posed low risk across all sources. This eliminated the Sequential Test requirement entirely, and planning approval was granted.

A collaborating planner noted: "The site sits in Flood Zone 2, and the initial pre-app response was a firm no due to the sequential test requirement, which wouldn't have been passed. But thanks to the NPPF and sharp analysis, we demonstrated through an FRA that all flooding sources posed low risk."

This case illustrates how early collaboration between planners and flood consultants can unlock development potential even when initial responses appear unfavourable.