Essex County Council Planning Guidance:

Essex Design Guide:
Link: https://www.essexdesignguide.co.uk/

Essex SuDS Design Guide (2020):
Link: https://www.essexdesignguide.co.uk/suds

Essex Green Infrastructure Strategy (2020):
Link:  https://www.essex.gov.uk/protecting-environment

Essex Climate Action Commission:
Link: https://www.essex.gov.uk/climate-action
Link: https://www.essexclimate.org.uk/

For Solar Farm development reference should be made to Supplementary Guidance in the Essex Design Guide – Solar Farm Guiding Principles:

Link: https://www.essexdesignguide.co.uk/supplementary-guidance/solar-farm-guiding-principles/flood-risk-and-suds/

Local Planning Authorities:

As Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA), Essex County Council act as statutory consultee to the 12 Local Planning Authorities across Essex. Southend on Sea and Thurrock Councils are Unitary Authorities so have their own independent LLFA functions.

Whilst the LLFA are consulted and may offer input on developing these, the Local Planning Authority (LPA) lead on producing the following documents for their respective areas:

• Local Development Plans
• Neighbourhood Plans
• Infrastructure Delivery Plans
• Strategic Flood Risk Assessments
• Sequential/ Exception Testing

The Surface Water Management Plans (SWMP’s) are strategic studies that the LLFA commission to inform decision making on the targeting of surface and groundwater flood risk reduction measures to ‘existing’ residential properties across the county.

Whilst we do engage with other Risk Management Authorities (RMA’s) in developing the SWMP’s, these are almost exclusively intended for this purpose and do not necessarily consider the impacts of other flood risk sources, beyond surface and groundwater flooding.

All sources of flood risk should be considered when determining the viability of ‘new development’. As such, refer to the respective LPA for details of their Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) and national guidance on the requirements for more localised, site level flood risk assessment.

Where new development is located within a Critical Drainage Area (CDA), we may seek developer contributions toward the provision of infrastructure that will help reduce surface water flood risk to existing residential properties within the area, through the LPA’s Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP).

Lead Local Flood Authority (Surface and Groundwater Flooding):

Local Flood Risk Management Strategy (2018):
Link: https://flood.essex.gov.uk/our-strategies-and-responsibilities/our-local-flood-risk-management-strategy/

Report a Flood Incident:
Link: https://flood.essex.gov.uk/what-to-do-about-flooding/report-a-flood/

Purchase Flood Information:
Link: https://flood.essex.gov.uk/flood-and-water-management-products-and-services/

Environment Agency (Main River and Coastal Flooding):

Environment Agency:
Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency#org-contacts

Check long-term flood risk:
Link: https://www.gov.uk/check-long-term-flood-risk

Other Risk Management Authorities:

Anglian Water (Sewer Flooding):
Link: https://www.anglianwater.co.uk/help-and-advice/

Thames Water (Sewer Flooding):
Link: https://www.thameswater.co.uk/help

Local Highway Authority (Highway Flooding):
Link: https://www.essexhighways.org/tell-us