[1] In the UK, the writing of professional flood risk assessments is undertaken by Civil Engineering Consultants.
They can part of a due-diligence process for existing householders or businesses, or can be required in England and Wales to provide independent evidence to a planning application on the flood risk.
[3] PPS 25 was designed to "strengthen and clarify the key role of the planning system in managing flood risk and contributing to adapting to the impacts of climate change.
In its introduction, PPS25 states "flooding threatens life and causes substantial damage to property [and that] although [it] cannot be wholly prevented, its impacts can be avoided and reduced through good planning and management".
At its most simple (and cheapest) level an FRA can provide an indication of whether a development will be allowed to take place at a site.
FRAs consist of a detailed analysis of available data to inform the Environment Agency of flood risk at an individual site and also recommend to the developer any mitigation measures.
[6] The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was amended in 2020 to require sequential tests for sites that are at risk of any form of flooding.