Environment Agency
EAThe government body responsible for managing flood risk from main rivers and the sea in England, maintaining flood defences, and providing flood warnings and flood risk data.
The Environment Agency is an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). It is the primary regulatory authority for flood risk management in England, with responsibility for main rivers, the sea, and reservoirs.
The EA’s flood risk functions include:
- Flood risk mapping: Publishing and maintaining the Flood Map for Planning, which defines Flood Zones 1, 2, and 3, and the Flood Risk from Rivers and Sea dataset used for assessing individual properties
- Flood defences: Building and maintaining flood defence infrastructure on main rivers and the coast
- Flood warnings: Operating the national flood warning service for communities at risk
- Planning consultation: Providing statutory responses to planning applications in flood risk areas, commenting on the adequacy of Flood Risk Assessments and proposed mitigation
- Data provision: Supplying flood level and flow data, LiDAR, and modelled outputs to support site-specific assessments
When preparing an FRA, engagement with the Environment Agency is essential. The EA will advise on the relevant design flood levels, required climate change allowances, freeboard requirements, and any site-specific considerations such as planned defence schemes.
It is important to note that the EA’s jurisdiction covers only main rivers and the sea. Surface water, ordinary watercourse, and groundwater flood risk falls under the remit of the Lead Local Flood Authority.
Aegaea liaises with the Environment Agency on behalf of clients throughout the flood risk assessment and modelling process, ensuring that technical submissions meet EA expectations.