Strategic Planning - Strategic Flood Risk Assessment 2025

The Council is looking to procure the services of a suitably qualified consultancy to deliver a Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA), following a Level 1 review which occurred in 2018.

The SFRA should provide a comprehensive and robust assessment of the extent and nature of flood risk within Southend and its implications for land use planning, accounting for the likely impact of climate change on flood risk over a future development's lifetime, as detailed below. It should be a web-based, living document that can be easily accessed and updated to reflect the latest information.

The study has the following objectives:

• Review and update the 2018 Level 1 SFRA as appropriate to identify site specific flood risk assessment and recommendations for site allocations and policies;
• Undertake a Level 2 SFRA site-specific flood risk analysis for sites provided by the Council (Appendix 1) using the latest available flood risk data to determine the characteristics of any flooding that could affect the site e.g. speed of onset, depth, velocity, hazard, duration, source of flooding and mechanisms of flooding (overtopping, breaching or overland run-off for example;
• Using the latest available data, provide for each site a summary of flood risk from all sources, the key risks and potential mitigation;
• the latest climate change advice should also be applied to any updates4
• Inform the local planning authority to apply the Sequential Test by identifying the severity and variation in flood risk within medium and high-risk areas;
• Where the Exception Test is required, provide recommendations for making the site safe throughout its lifetime without increasing flood risk elsewhere;
• Take into account the most recent legislation and policy and guidance on flood risk available during the study period.