Understanding the Latest Updates to the Flood Map for Planning: What Developers and Planning Consultants Need to Know
- GeoSon
- Mar 27
- 3 min read
Over the last few months the Environment Agency (EA) have released several significant updates to flood risk datasets and online mapping tools as part of the National Flood Risk Assessment (NaFRA2) project.
On the 25th March 2025 the Environment Agency updated the Flood Map for Planning. This builds upon previous changes which were made on the 28th January 2025 to the ‘Check Your Long-Term Flood Risk’ map and the ‘Check Coastal Erosion Risk for an Area in England / Shoreline Management Plan Explorer’ maps.
How Does the Update to the Flood Map for Planning Impact my Development?
The Flood Map for Planning update will have several implications on new and existing development proposals:
More properties are now classified as at being at risk from rivers, the sea, or surface water.
The new NaFRA2 release shows 6.3 million properties are now identified as being at risk of flooding from rivers, the sea, or surface water - a 14% increase on the previous datasets. The number of properties at risk is expected to rise to 8 million by mid-century due to climate change-driven impacts on flood patterns.
As a result, more sites will require a Flood Risk Assessment as part of the planning process.
The Flood Zone extents have been refined.
Some locations previously considered low risk (Flood Zone 1) may now fall within the modelled Flood Zone 2 or Flood Zone 3 extents and so will now require a Flood Risk Assessments (FRA) to support any new development.
Existing planning applications must reflect the new data.
Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) will screen all new applications and existing live undetermined applications against the updated flood risk data to ensure that flood risk has been properly accounted for. In instances where an application is already in the planning system and the flood risk classification for a site has significantly changed, developers may be required to update their FRA or provide new supporting information.
New Map Features: What’s Changed?
Landowners, developers, flood risk consultants and Local Authorities have more information to use at the site screening stage than ever before.
The updated Flood Map for Planning continues to show Flood Zones 1, 2 and 3 for the present day (ignoring the benefits of defences).
However, the Flood Map for Planning now also displays additional information including, for the first time, modelled extents for the risk of flooding from surface water.
The newly introduced layers include:
Rivers and sea with defences for the present day and climate change scenarios
A 3.3% defended layer which is aimed to help LPAs determine the functional floodplain
Rivers and sea without defences for the present day and climate change scenarios
Surface water flood extents for the present day
Incorporation of the additional layers on the Flood Map for Planning allows developers, planning consultants and landowners to review sites quickly and easily against multiple sources of flooding, making it easier for stakeholders to understand the modelled risk of flooding at a potential development site from the offset.
How We Can Help
While the Flood Map for Planning update, and wider NaFRA2 releases, represent a significant improvement in our understanding of flood risk, they introduce new potential obstacles for obtaining planning permission.
If you would like to find out more about how the Flood Map for Planning update may impact your site, please get in touch with one of our team who would be happy to discuss your situation in more detail.
Our consultants at GeoSon can provide a free, no-obligation quotation. Get in touch with us here or call us on 01174 414993.
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