3.7.1 Flood risk is an increasingly important issue to the land use planning system. Seeking to manage and reduce the incidence of flooding, acting on a precautionary basis taking account of climate change, the planning system should ensure that new development does not pose an unacceptable risk of flooding or increase the risk of flooding elsewhere on a catchment wide basis.

3.7.2 PPG25 acknowledges that the experience of recent years suggests that the incidence of problems due to river flooding may be getting worse, both in frequency and scale. This arises from changes in river hydrology due to human activity, changes in land management, variations in the intensity of rainfall and the increase in development in areas at risk.

3.7.3 PPG25 also advocates that local planning authorities should adopt a risk-based approach to proposals for the development in or affecting flood risk areas or where the development may increase flood risk elsewhere. Paragraph 20 of PPG25 states that those promoting particular developments are responsible for carrying out flood risk assessments (FRA) prior to designation of sites in development plans or a decision being made on individual planning applications. In line with the precautionary principle of PPG25, local planning authorities should be minded to refuse planning permission and not identify sites in development plans until a satisfactory FRA has been submitted. The level of detail required for a FRA may vary upon the size scale and location of development, however all FRA's should be in accordance with appendix F of PPG25.

3.7.4 In addition to the risk based approach, PPG25 expects local planning authorities in the preparation of plans and their development control decisions to implement a sequential test. Accordingly in drawing up policies, local planning authorities should give priority in allocating or permitting sites for development to those areas that are not or at lower risk of flooding.