Flood Risk Assessments in Cornwall and the South West

At Flows and Roads Consulting, we provide clear, policy-compliant flood risk assessment services to support planning applications and development proposals across Cornwall and the South West.

We work with developers, architects and planning consultants to identify flood-related constraints early in the design process, helping to reduce planning delays and support successful approvals.

Whether your site is located within Flood Zones 2 or 3, close to a watercourse, or affected by surface water flooding, we prepare robust and proportionate Flood Risk Assessments (FRAs) tailored to local authority and Environment Agency requirements.

Our reports are prepared in line with current national planning guidance and local policy standards, providing clear and practical advice to support development from concept through to approval.

Image showing tidal river in cornwall to demonstrate Flows and Roads Flood Risk Assessment services

Our flood risk assessment services include:

  • Site-specific Flood Risk Assessments (FRAs)

  • Flood Zone 2 and 3 assessments

  • Surface water flood risk assessments

  • Ordinary watercourse and fluvial flood assessments

  • Sequential Test support

  • Exception Test support

  • Critical Drainage Area assessments

  • Hydraulic and hydrological review

  • Watercourse capacity assessments

  • Flood mitigation strategy recommendations

  • Environment Agency and LLFA liaison

  • Planning condition support

Flood risk assessments for planning applications

Flood risk is often a key planning requirement, particularly for sites located within mapped flood zones, near watercourses, or where local policy identifies surface water risk.

We prepare flood risk assessments to support:

  • outline planning applications

  • full planning applications

  • reserved matters submissions

  • change of use applications

  • discharge of flood-related planning conditions

  • pre-application feasibility studies

Our reports are designed to satisfy National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) requirements while remaining clear, proportionate and practical for planning officers, consultees and project teams.

Surface water and fluvial flood risk

Each site presents different flood constraints, and our assessments consider all relevant sources of flooding, including:

  • river flooding

  • ordinary watercourse flooding

  • surface water runoff

  • exceedance flow routes

  • groundwater where relevant

  • residual flood risks

  • sewer flooding

  • flooding from impounded waterbodies

Where mitigation is required, we provide practical recommendations to support safe development and reduce flood risk to people, property and surrounding land.

Local flood risk expertise in Cornwall

Based in Cornwall, we support projects across Redruth, Truro, Newquay, Falmouth and the wider South West.

Our local understanding of planning requirements, authority expectations and flood constraints helps us provide efficient and commercially focused advice for development sites.

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