Flood zone 3 comprises land where water has to flow or be stored in times of flood. Local planning authorities should identify areas of functional flood plain and their boundaries in their Strategic Flood Risk Assessments in agreement with the Environment Agency. Recently the government has investigated whether housing should be built on floodplains at all the Secretary of State for Housing said (12/3/20) "In that spirit, I'm announcing today that I will be reviewing our policy to prevent the building in areas of high flood risk.
"Given the recent devastation suffered by so many of our communities, we're putting in an extra £5.2 billion into flood defences."
Mr Jenrick said developers will be encouraged to build homes around train stations and could face a new ban on development in areas at high risk of floods. Experts say that deficiencies in the current planning system mean that the proportion of new homes built in areas at high risk of flooding has increased over the past decade.
- link can be found here
Flood Zones
It is important to know in which flood zone your property lies, and what that means for housing developments and the village. Flood zone 3 is actually split into 2 separate zones - 3a and 3b. However, the Environment Agency do not split the zone and, as such, their maps only identify a general flood zone 3. Flood mapping does change over time, but with the climate change emergency the maps are constantly updated and floodplains and areas that may flood are expanded, This has happened to the land around Bawdrip recently with more properties at the bottom of the village in danger flooding due to climate change and increased rainfall.
Flood Zone Definition - See the map here
Zone 1 Low Probability - Land having a less than 1 in 1,000 annual probability of river or sea flooding. (Shown as ‘clear’ on the Flood Map – all land outside Zones 2 and 3)
Zone 2 Medium Probability - Land having between a 1 in 100 and 1 in 1,000 annual probability of river flooding; or land having between a 1 in 200 and 1 in 1,000 annual probability of sea flooding. (Land shown in light blue on the Flood Map)
Zone 3a High Probability - Land having a 1 in 100 or greater annual probability of river flooding; or Land having a 1 in 200 or greater annual probability of sea flooding.(Land shown in dark blue on the Flood Map)
Zone 3b The Functional Floodplain - This zone comprises land where water has to flow or be stored in times of flood. Local authorities should identify areas of functional floodplain and their boundaries in their Strategic Flood Risk Assessments in agreement with the Environment Agency. (Not separately distinguished from Zone 3a on the Flood Map).
Protecting the functional flood plain is absolutely critical.
It is very rare for development to be permitted in 3b. Environment Agency evidence shows that development in England on genuine flood plain zone 3b is minimal.
The site was refused planning in 2014 because it falls within flood zone 3b. In refusing planning permission, Sedgemoor District Council stated: "The proposed development, located within the open countryside and within flood zone 3b (functional flood plain) is an unsustainable form of development increasing reliance on the car contrary to policies S1, S3, D1 and P6 of the Sedgemoor District Core Strategy and Guidance in the National Planning Policy Framework, paragraphs 14, 100 and 101)."
And
"The proposed development, located within the within flood zone 3b (functional flood plain), has failed to demonstrate how the development will remain safe over its lifetime and how occupants would be able to safely evacuate (including safe access and escape routes) during a flood event contrary to policy D1 of the Sedgemoor District Core Strategy and Guidance in the National Planning Policy Framework, paragraphs 100 and 101."
Nothing has changed insofar as the Flood Zones in and around Bawdrip are concerned. In fact, given recent storms and local flooding, you may have noticed that the proposed development site has been in flood for the last few months with ground water not soaking away (photos below). This is not unusual and is supposed to happen on floodplains such as this one, it helps protect nearby homes and the lower part of the village. Any proposal to develop this land or any other low lying land must therefore take this into account not just for the lost and damage to homes, roads and infrastructure but also to the damage and pollution to the important ecological ecosystems found in the river, ditches and land when floods accrue.
The new 2021 Defra outcome framework - Priority outcome 3 (PO3): Floods and resilience – Reduce the likelihood and impact of flooding and coastal erosion on people, businesses, communities and the environment.
The new 25 Year Environment Plan inform Defra’s priority outcomes, particularly for environment, net zero, floods and resilience, and through its international environment work.
Housebuilding ban on floodplains isn’t enough – flood-prone communities should take back control
It should be noted that the landowner, Mr Bradford, is the Parrett Chair of the Parrett Internal Drainage Board Kings Sedgemoor & Cary Valley - The Drainage Boards in the Somerset Consortium, And brother of Conservative Councillor Alan Bradford, Somerset Conservative District Council ex-chairman, and sits on the Planning Committee - North.
The Somerset Drainage Boards Consortium website states:
"Planning applications and their details are made available to the Consortium staff for their comments. Our staff will investigate the site for flood risk and water level management issues as well as its proximity to a watercourse. The Board's response is then passed to the relevant Planning Authority for their consideration.
As a consultee in the process, the Board does not have the legal power to grant or reject a planning application that we scrutinise. Our role is to advise that any proposed development will not increase flood risk, adversely affect water level management or restrict the Board’s ability to maintain any watercourse.
In addition to the safeguards offered by the Planning Process, the Boards also have enacted Byelaws to control all works within 9 metres of any watercourse in the Drainage Board area."
Somerset Climate Emergency Framework, In 2019, the Somerset local authorities (Somerset County Council, Mendip District Council, Sedgemoor District Council, Somerset West and Taunton Council, and South Somerset District Council) all passed resolutions to declare or recognise ‘A Climate Emergency’ and have since agreed to collaborate to produce and deliver an ambitious, joint Climate Emergency Strategy for Somerset.
Links:
www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Flood_risk
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/29/contents
On the wettest winter day of the past 30 years, 39mm of rain fell in Bawdrip. At a 2C rise, this could be about 44mm. And a 4C rise, it could be about 46mm, which is 18% more than now.
Feb 2020: wettest February on record dating back to 1862, with 3 storms hitting the UK, October 2020: 3 October became the wettest day on record for the UK (Met Office, 2021).
Summer rain is likely to become less frequent but could be heavier. Without regular rainfall, the ground has a harder time absorbing water when it finally does come, leading to a greater risk of flash flooding, and also sea levels have risen 16cm since 1900. Why would we add to the over 5 million properties that are at risk in the UK? Why would we, as a community invest our time and money into a Hall that would flood a few times in it's lifetime and in turn endanger other homes?
Floods will likely become a staple of warming winters as well.
Steady rain, which is currently a feature of winter months, will probably continue, and total rainfall is expected to increase.
When the ground is already saturated, waterways tend to rise. Ditches and sewers designed for historical rainfall levels may come increasingly under pressure.
The site is surrounded on all sides by water, with the river to the South and ditches all around. Recently house-building efforts across Somerset have been stymied by the Dutch N ruling, which concerns phosphate levels on the Somerset Levels and Moors.
Water quality around the site must comply with the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 and the Ramsar Convention, an international law which recognises and protects areas of wetlands for future generations.
The water quality on the Somerset Levels and Moors sites of special scientific interest (SSSI) was downgraded by Natural England and the Environment Agency to “unfavourable declining”, following water quality monitoring that revealed phosphate levels three times higher than they should be.
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