Planning for water - Drainage, SuDS, Flood risk and guidance

Developers and funding for flood risk improvements

Legislative and policy background

Sunderland City Council have a Core Strategy and Development Plan that guides all development. Sections WWE2, WWE3 and WWE4 cover flood risk, drainage and water quality. This is supported by other adopted documents and legislation.

Strategic Flood Risk Assessment, Local Flood Risk Management Strategy, Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment, Section 19 reports

The Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) ensures that no planned major development occurs within the Environment Agency Flood zone 2 or 3. It also identifies Critical Drainage Areas where there are either historic flooding concerns or unknown details on drainage networks which may impact on flooding. The Flood and Water Management Act 2010 has led to the setup of Sunderland City Council Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA). The LLFA are required to undertake a Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment and a Local Flood Risk Management Strategy which prioritises work to reduce flood risk in Sunderland. This LFRMS gives guidance on when formal investigation will be made into flooding (>10 properties internally flooded). Reports produced following any investigations are called Section 19 reports.

Developer planning advice - Validation, Local Standards and adoption

The LLFA are statutory consultees for all major applications in relation to management of surface water under the TCPA (2015 Development Management Procedures). All developers are recommended to contact the LLFA early in the planning process through formal pre application.

The Validation checklist (pdf) shows information that is required for planning submissions. Local Standards that provide further guidance in relation to Defra Technical non statutory standards for SuDS should be followed. It is always recommended that detailed preapplication consultation is undertaken. Sunderland City Council can adopt SuDS. Northumbrian Water also adopt SuDS in line with Drainage Construction Guidance.

How we fund improvements to reduce flood risk in Sunderland

Sunderland City Council bids for funding to improve known priority flood issues in Sunderland. The strategy to address these issues is the Local Flood risk Management Strategy. This is updated every 5 years. Approval for funding bids will be required to be approved by cabinet and/or go through a Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (RFCC) which has a 5-year Medium Term Plan.

The Lead Local Flood Authority prioritise flood prevention works on the following basis:

Priority 1 - Sites of known fatalities, internal flooding to properties, Flooding on class A and B roads (national speed limit roads) causing complete closure.

Priority 2 - Flooding to commercial properties (from SCC land) Flooding to A and B class roads causing a danger to all traffic, flooding to unclassified roads causing complete closure.

Priority 3 - Flooding to garages and outhouses, flooding to unclassified roads causing minor obstruction, flooding to footpaths causing closure, damage to buildings caused by water splashing.

Priority 4 - Flooding of the highway causing splashing to pedestrians, flooding to minor footpaths.

Contact: LLFA@sunderland.gov.uk