"areas within the yellow polygon below which are outside the 1000 year modelled outline should be treated as flood zone 1:"

Innervision Design recently challenged the Environment Agency regarding the accuracy of the Flood Zone 2 map at Crofton (E544000, N166000). The map, which combines modelled 1000-year flood data with historic flood records, appeared to inaccurately include areas contradicted by the site's topography. Specifically, the 1968 recorded flood outline did not align with current site conditions, and lacked supporting evidence.

The Environment Agency acknowledged our concerns, agreeing that the 1968 flood outline likely does not warrant inclusion in the Historic Flood Map. While updates to the flood map are paused due to ongoing national flood modelling, they have agreed to flag the discrepancy. This adjustment should be visible on the Flood Map for Planning within a month (by the end of August 2024), ensuring that areas incorrectly marked as Flood Zone 2 will be treated as Flood Zone 1.

This outcome is significant, particularly for those with planning applications or developments in the affected area. If you have projects that may be impacted by these changes, we encourage you to contact us so we can work with the relevant authorities to prevent any delays.

Looking ahead, a new catchment-scale model of the Ravensbourne is underway, set to be completed later this year. The flood maps will be updated in 2025 to incorporate this new data, which may further refine the Flood Zone 2 outline.

We are pleased with the outcome of our challenge and will continue to ensure that flood risk data is accurate and reliable for all stakeholders.

We look forward to receiving your calls and emails. Please feel free to get in touch for a friendly discussion and some initial advice. For more information, please visit our website: https://www.innervision-design.co.uk/ flood-risk-assessment.php.