Flood Risk Assessment Reports

Our flood risk assessment reports will provide you with detailed analysis of the flood risks at your site, helping you to prevent, mitigate or prepare for potential flood events. Our decades of experience and extensive environmental knowledge allow us to assess flood risk and develop suitable flood mitigation and drainage strategies, in order to support a planning application, comply with conditions and regulations and ensure adequate due diligence.

Assess Flood Risk - Desk studies comprising in-depth research of flood risk in a specified area, including analysis of data obtained from the Environment Agency, Local & National Authorities, Strategic Flood Risk Assessments and Digital Terrain Model (DTM) LiDAR topographical surveys.

Support Planning Applications - Flood risk assessment reports, including Sequential & Exception Test and flood mitigation strategies, to protect against potential flooding and to support your planning application or comply with planning conditions.

Flood Mitigation & Sustainable Drainage - Combining our flood and environmental expertise with detailed quantitative flood modelling allows us to develop solutions to flood risk and surface water drainage issues that mitigate against future flood events.

I contacted Oakshire to complete a flood risk assessment to accompany a planning permission application. The comms were rapid and informative, cost of the service was highly competitive and timeframe to complete the work was 2 working days. Couldn't ask for more! Thank you. Hope the rest of my PP goes as smoothly..! - Mrs McCormick

Our Flood Risk Assessment Services

Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment - Our Preliminary Flood Risk Assessments aim to develop a detailed assessment of the site and establish the context, setting and suitability of proposed development, by conducting desk studies to collate information from the Environment Agency, Local and National Authorities and Strategic Flood Risk Assessments. This information is also used to apply the Sequential Test & Exception Test, a standard requirement for most flood risk assessments for planning permission.

Information obtained from sources including the Environment Agency, Local & National Authorities, Strategic Flood Risk Assessments, Digital Terrain Model (DTM) LiDAR topographical surveys and Ordnance Survey is analysed to determine the likely extent of flooding and the potential depth of such flooding, along with a qualitative assessment to determine the risk to a site and suitable flood mitigation measures. If the Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment shows the flood risk to be acceptable or easily mitigated, this may be the only stage necessary, however, where there is shown to be a higher risk of flooding, further assessment may be needed.

Detailed Flood Risk Assessment - While desk studies provide vital site specific flood risk data and analysis, as well as providing the required information to support a planning application or due diligence, more detailed analysis may be required to further assess the flood risk, minimum required floor levels and flood evacuation plans. Therefore, we also carry out Detailed Flood Risk Assessments to produce models of water flow and drainage at a site, identify the ground conditions and better understand where potential floods are likely to occur. We can use this information to produce for you a clearly laid out and detailed flood risk survey, providing additional information to inform project development and flood mitigation.

Flood Mitigation Options Appraisal - Following the assessment of the nature and extent of flood risk at a site, through a preliminary or detailed flood risk assessment, it may be necessary to identify suitable mitigation measures and provide a strategy for the implementation of suitable flood mitigation options. Utilising industry leading quantitative flood modelling, we're able to determine which flood mitigation options are most appropriate for the site, taking into account estimated costs, practicality and regulatory implications.

Flood Warning & Evacuation Plan - The objective of a Flood Warning & Evacuation Plan is to provide a means by which those living or working at a development shall be made aware of the flood hazard, and to identify any procedures that will enable them to avoid being directly exposed to the hazard in any future flood events that may affect the site. Our Flood Warning & Evacuation plans include desk studies and a review of any previous investigations to develop a detailed assessment of the site location, setting, vulnerability and flood risk. This information is then used to assess the level of flood risk and the impact on development, the availability of safe access and egress for residents and emergency services to allow us to outline a strategy for the implementation of flood evacuation measures, including appropriate flood warning, resilience and recovery measures to reduce the impact of a flood event.

Sustainable Drainage (SuDS) Options Appraisal - Conducted to identify and assess viable measures for sustainably managing the risk of surface water, Sustainable Drainage Options Appraisals are commonly used to support planning applications for proposed development or to improve existing conditions on a site. Combining construction expertise and quantitative surface water modelling, including supporting calculations, we're able to determine appropriate sustainable drainage measures for reducing surface water risk on and off-site, taking into account estimated costs, practicality and regulatory implications.

Flood Risk Activities Permit - We'll guide you through the complex process of obtaining an Environment Agency flood risk activity permit, required for proposed works near a main river, flood or sea defence structure or in a flood plain, and can deal with everything from flood risk assessments and supporting documentation, to Environment Agency meetings and project consultancy to maximise approval likelihood and reduce ongoing regulatory burden.

How Do Flood Risk Assessments Help?

Planning Permission - If a planned development is within an area of higher flood risk you may be instructed, often through the implementation of planning conditions, by the local authority to show that you have taken necessary precautions to protect the building from flooding. These precautions can include alterations to floor heights, material use and other flood resistant products. We carry out flood risk assessments, including applying the Sequential Test & Exception Test, with the aim of supporting proposed planning applications or complying with planning conditions, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your project. Our extensive practical experience, and variety of construction partners, allows us to design and manage the implementation of a range of flood protection measures and Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) to work alongside our flood risk assessment report.

Due Diligence - Growing urbanisation has led to an increase in impermeable surfaces and resulting flooding events. This decreased permeability along with an increase in extreme weather events means that drainage infrastructure is vital and previous infrastructure may no longer be sufficient, resulting in many areas now at risk of flooding. Flood risk assessments are crucial in a range of industries, particularly construction, so if you're looking to develop on land potentially at risk from flooding, a thorough assessment of the potential risks and resulting impact on future flood risks will need to be carried out.

Flood Risk Assessment Case Study - We're proud to have had the chance to work for EMEC Ecology, a subsidiary of Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust (WLT), to support redevelopment work at the Attenborough Nature Reserve in Nottingham. In order to conduct this Flood Risk Assessment, we first assessed the risks to the site from river flooding from the River Trent and its many tributaries, surface water flooding in nearby urbanised areas with limited permeable surfaces, groundwater flooding in areas with a shallow water table and permeable underlying soil and sewer flooding. There are many areas in Nottingham that benefit from flood defences, including the Trent Left Bank Flood Alleviation Scheme which was funded by DEFRA and built by the Environment Agency, that protects the site and thousands of others located north of the River Trent. A detailed analysis of the impact of potential sources of flooding and any flood defences that may be in place was essential in order to determine the risk of flooding at the site.

Oakshire Environmental recently carried out a Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment for us at EMEC Ecology. They were extremely efficient, responsive and provided an on time service. Would definitely recommend and will certainly use them in the future. Thanks to Joe and Louis for working to our tight deadline!

Meet Our Flood Risk Consultants

Consultants - Supervised by our Chief Technical Officer, Louis Turner, our fully comprehensive flood risk assessment reports, are carried out by highly qualified consultants, combining over 30 years experience with recognised in-depth technical qualifications in identification of environmental and flood issues.

Management - Our wealth of experience in project management, logistics and environmental consulting allows us to provide an efficient, friendly and high quality flood risk service for our clients. As a company, we believe that helping clients achieve their goals while simultaneously protecting the environment is a true "win-win" situation.

Partners - Our experienced, professional and qualified construction and consulting partners further extend the range of environmental services we are able to provide. These partners help us produce highly detailed and thorough flood risk assessments.

Contact Us - Contact us for an informal discussion about your requirements, alternatively, if your requirements are more complex, or you're looking for more information about our flood risk assessments, also known as a flood consequence assessments in Wales, or our company, a more formal consultation may be necessary. Following initial consultation we can provide an outline proposal detailing how we can help and the costs involved.

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