Flood risk assessments for planning in York and North Yorkshire, Rivers Ouse, Foss and Derwent, York Flood Alleviation Scheme and surface water.
York has a higher proportion of its developable land in Flood Zone 2 and 3 than almost any other city in England. The Rivers Ouse, Foss and Derwent converge in and around the city, and the Boxing Day 2015 floods set new records on both the Ouse and the Wharfe, submerging more than 600 homes and businesses and causing an estimated 500 million pounds of damage across Yorkshire. City of York Council treats flood risk as a primary material planning consideration, and the Environment Agency is an active consultee on most development proposals in the city.
We surveyed 146 properties in York as part of the EA-appointed flood resilience programme, working directly with property owners and the council to assess vulnerability and recommend protection measures. That programme gave us detailed site-level knowledge of how flooding behaves across different parts of the city, where the Ouse overtops, where the Foss backs up, where surface water compounds the problem. That knowledge feeds directly into the FRAs we produce for York planning applications.
“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
City of York Council published its updated Level 1 SFRA in August 2022, using the EA York Detailed Model to assess fluvial risk from the Ouse, Foss and Derwent. The York Flood Alleviation Scheme has delivered improved defences across 10 communities in and around the city. But this is one of the most important things to understand about flood risk in York: the FAS does not remove the FRA requirement. Development in defended areas still requires an assessment that addresses residual risk and breach failure scenarios. An FRA that simply references the FAS as providing adequate protection, without addressing what happens if the defences are overtopped or breach, is likely to draw a direct EA objection.
The Foss Barrier is central to this analysis. The Barrier controls water levels in the Foss catchment and protects Fishergate, Fulford and the areas around the River Foss. During the 2015 Boxing Day floods, the Barrier was overwhelmed, its pumps were shut down due to rising water levels in the pump chamber, and extensive flooding resulted in areas that had previously considered themselves protected. Any development near the Foss system must address the Barrier’s operational limits and the flood risk consequences of failure explicitly in the FRA. This is not a theoretical exercise, it happened in December 2015.
Surface water flooding is a growing concern in York’s northern and eastern suburbs, including Rawcliffe, Skelton, Huntington, Heworth and Tang Hall. City of York Council’s drainage guidance requires all development to demonstrate sustainable on-site surface water management. Many sites in the lower-lying areas of the city face both fluvial and surface water risk simultaneously, and the assessment needs to address both coherently.
• Development in Flood Zone 2 or 3 along the Ouse, Foss, Derwent or any tributary in the city
• Development in York FAS defended areas, where residual risk and Foss Barrier breach analysis is required
• Development of 1 hectare or more in Flood Zone 1
• Sites identified in the York SFRA 2022 as having surface water or ordinary watercourse flood risk
• Development near the Foss Barrier where defence performance and failure scenarios must be addressed
• Development requiring a surface water drainage strategy under City of York Council guidance
We surveyed 146 properties in York as part of the EA-appointed flood resilience programme, working alongside property owners and the council. We understand the Foss Barrier’s role, its operational limits, the 2015 failure scenario and the specific SFRA evidence that applies to planning applications in the city. That knowledge is not available from a desk review.
Our FRAs for York applications engage directly with the York Detailed Model data, address residual risk and breach failure requirements for defended sites, and treat the surface water picture as an integral part of the assessment rather than an afterthought.
We cover York City and the wider North Yorkshire area, including Selby, Harrogate, Ripon and the Derwent and Wharfe valleys.
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.
Certificate No: 420112023
© Copyright 2026 FPS Environmental. All rights reserved.
