Flood risk assessments for planning across Lincoln, Grantham, Boston, Spalding, Sleaford and the wider Lincolnshire area.
Lincolnshire has one of the most complex flood risk environments in England, and it is complex in ways that are not obvious from the standard EA Flood Map for Planning. The county’s flat terrain, its reliance on a managed network of Internal Drainage Board drains, its position at the end of several major river catchments and its proximity to the North Sea all create planning requirements that national guidance alone does not address.
We deliver Section 19 flood investigations for Lincolnshire County Council, investigating significant flood events under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. That direct working relationship with LCC gives us knowledge of the county’s drainage governance, risk management authorities and planning requirements that feeds directly into the flood risk assessments we produce for planning applications across the county.
“A Flood Risk Assessment should be an engineering exercise, not a template report. At FPS Environmental every assessment is bespoke, focused on assessing flood risk thoroughly and supporting viable development.”
Simon Crowther BEng (Hons) FCIWEM C.WEM MIET
Director, FPS Environmental
Lincoln city sits in a defended flood risk area of particular hydraulic complexity. The River Witham, the Fossdyke Navigation and the Brayford Pool all interact in and around the city, and significant Flood Zone 3 areas exist within the defended extents. The Lincoln Policy Area SFRA identifies that climate change will increase the risk of defence overtopping and that upstream washland capacity will be exceeded more frequently over the development lifetime of new schemes. FRAs for sites in Lincoln’s defended area must address residual risk and breach failure scenarios, not simply reference the defences as eliminating risk. This is a common error on Lincoln applications and a common cause of EA objection.
Tide locking is a distinctive feature of Lincolnshire’s flood hydrology that has no real parallel in most other English counties. At times of high or spring tides, raised sea levels at the Wash and North Sea prevent rivers and drainage systems from discharging, causing water to back up through the IDB drain network far inland. This mechanism affects towns and villages well away from the coast, including Boston, Spalding, Holbeach and parts of South Kesteven, and must be addressed explicitly in FRAs for sites in these areas.
Internal Drainage Boards manage an extensive network of drains across the county’s agricultural land. Development that may affect an IDB-managed drain requires specific IDB consultation, and FRAs must address IDB watercourse risk as a distinct flood source. This requirement applies across most of Lincolnshire outside the upland areas of the Wolds and the limestone edge. It is not something that the standard national planning guidance covers adequately, and it catches applicants out regularly.
• Development in Flood Zone 2 or 3 along the Witham, Fossdyke, Bain, Slea or any main river in the county
• Development in Lincoln’s defended flood risk area requiring residual and breach risk analysis
• Development near IDB-managed drains requiring specific IDB consultation
• Development in areas affected by tide locking in Boston, Spalding, Holbeach and the eastern lowlands
• Development of 1 hectare or more in Flood Zone 1
• Development requiring a surface water drainage strategy under Lincolnshire County Council guidance
We deliver Section 19 flood investigations for Lincolnshire County Council and understand the county’s IDB framework, tide-locking hydrology, SFRA requirements and the planning approach of each of the Lincolnshire district councils. That is specialist knowledge that most consultancies working in Lincolnshire do not have.
Our FRAs engage with EA Witham and Bain model data, address IDB consultation requirements as part of the assessment process and treat tide locking as a specific flood source rather than an afterthought.
We are based in Nottingham, close to the Lincolnshire boundary, and can attend site across Lincoln, Grantham, Sleaford, Skegness, Boston and Spalding.
Years combined civil & environmental engineering experience
Years delivering drainage, design and risk advisory
Projects including individual assets valued at £1 billion+
Drainage design and flood risk commissions delivered
Here are some of our latest testimonials from satisfied clients. If you’d like to discuss your requirements further, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
We are a charity owning a large parcel of land where gathering water is then affecting neighbouring properties. Received expert flood risk and drainage advice from FPS Environmental Ltd. All dealings with them were timely and professional. Site visit arranged where we were able to fully discuss causes and solutions. Great peace of mind obtained from engaging their expertise.
Michael Rowell
Landowner
The report I received was for a Flood Survey which was very thorough and clearly a lot of work had gone into it. The team were always available and conscious of deadlines. I would definitely recommend them if you are looking to get a flood survey completed.
Mike Gray
We spent thousands of pounds on poor quality investigations before reaching out to FPS Environmental. Most surveyors over promised and underdelivered creating tremendous stress for me and my family. FPSE has been absolutely amazing from the very beginning. They treated us with respect and restored our faith in this industry. We are incredibly grateful to them and highly recommend the company to anybody who wants to get a top product and piece of mind.
George Albota
I have used FPS, Simon and his team on several occasions over the last few years to advise on the flood risk and mitigating factors on both houses and prospective businesses. They have deep expertise and contacts across the spectrum of flood management. In particular, I have found their assessment reports invaluable. Whilst they are understandably busy, they are good to deal with and I would have no hesitation recommending them to anyone who is looking for advice in the sector.
Richard Warburton
Business Owner
FPS was really helpful in providing consulting advice in connection with a residential property acquisition. Sebastian from FPS undertook the survey and followed up with a full report and a consultation call to run through everything. The basic desktop data suggested a high flood risk, but this property-specific survey allowed us to take a well-informed position following Sebastian’s advice. Great work – and he and the FPS team were really helpful throughout the process. I’d certainly recommend them.
Richard Brandon
Very impressed with FPS Environmental Ltd and the guidance we have received to date. We had an hour long online consultation with the principal surveyor, and it was extremely helpful and productive. Thank you FPS. Will use the company again and highly recommend.
Helen Sutherland
FPS were able to work to our schedule and fit in an appointment at short notice. There was great communication from the office staff keeping us informed of any changes or requirements before the site visit.
The site survey was very thorough and Simon very knowledgeable, and quite happy to answer all questions. The provided report was extensive with usable information and recommendations. I will use FPS in the future and happily recommend them to all of my clients.
Drew Kirkland-Crawford
Deadwood Services Ltd
Send us your project brief and we will come back with a scope and indicative fee. Where additional input is required, this is provided on a formal instruction basis.
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