The Evolution of Flood Risk Assessments
By 2050, it’s estimated that one in four properties in England could be at risk of flooding. But what is causing this increase? For anyone who owns property, wants to buy or is looking to develop new builds, the increase in flooding is a significant consideration. Protecting the value of your assets and acquiring planning permission means acquiring a better understanding of how to mitigate flood risk. To cover the evolution of flood risk assessments effectively, we need to look at how flood risk in the UK has evolved over time.
Why is flood risk in the UK rising?
Climate change is cited as a culprit, as well as urbanisation. Increased rainfall can overwhelm rivers and waterways, leading to flooding. With the increased use of impermeable surfaces in built-up areas, the increased rainwater doesn’t absorb into the ground but flows through streets and into people’s homes and businesses.
The impact on communities, homeowners and businesses is significant.
There are initiatives to boost support for flood defences in vulnerable towns, such as Bewdley in Worcestershire.
However, for other towns, such as Tenbury Wells (also in Worcestershire) effective flood defences would be more difficult to install. The town has been flooded multiple times, with some experts believing it could become the UK’s first town to be abandoned over climate change.
With this being the case, it’s more important than ever for homeowners, businesses and planning consultants to protect against and mitigate the effects of potential future flooding.
What are the biggest concerns?
It’s safe to say homebuyers now want to take a more cautious approach to choosing their home, especially as some are struggling to secure mortgages due to the increased risk of flooding.
Homeowners seeing an increase in flooding in their area will want to be prepared and have measures in place to keep the inconvenience and cost of potential repairs to a minimum.
Meanwhile, planning consultants and architects will want to ensure they have a strong chance of getting planning permission secured with a robust flood risk report that either downgrades the perceived risk of flooding or provides clear next actions to satisfy the local planning authority.
How are flood risk assessments evolving?
For flood risk assessments to be effective, they need to look at numerous data sources and explore the most up-to-date flood mitigation options. Possible mitigation solutions include flood doors and flood barriers, along with self-closing air bricks, additional drainage provision and non-return valves.
Assessing flood risk won’t necessarily be about what’s happened in the past. Projected risks based on increased rainfall and peak river flows, or urbanisation may be taken into account.
This means flood risk assessments need to be more detailed than ever.
What do the latest flood risk assessments include?
Flood risk assessments from Ashfield contain helpful information for the property owner, occupier or prospective buyer, including how to manage potential flood risk issues, data on the likelihood of future flooding and more.
Each flood risk assessment uses:
- Open government flood mapping
- Local authority flood reports
- Historical flood records
- Third-party specialist flood data
- Flood model data where there is a requirement.
This information is cross-analysed by an expert flood risk consultant against property data.
The future of flood risk assessments
The future around climate change and flooding may be uncertain, but that doesn’t mean you can’t adapt to these changes. Trusted flood experts are here to help advise on the next best steps to help you achieve your goal, whether that’s securing planning permission for an extension or new development, or better understanding flood risk and preventing your home or business from floodwater damage.
Making sure you get an assessment completed by a trusted specialist will save you time, money and hassle. The team at Ashfield Solutions is here to support your requirements, whether you want peace of mind when buying a property, help getting planning permission for your next project, or understanding flood risk and mitigation options for current assets.
Contact our flood risk consultants today for a prompt report that covers all available resources to determine the true level of risk and comprehensive flood history of a property.