Results

Savills plc

11/24/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/24/2021 07:29

New Technical Advice Note (TAN) 15 Development and Flood Risk suspended until 1st June 2023

This decision has been taken to allow local planning authorities time to consider the impact of climate change projections on their respective areas. The inclusion of these projections within the Flood Map for Planning has caused some significant increases in the extent of the highest-risk flood zones, including in some of Wales' city and town centres.

The WG has also written to local authorities to set out what work must now be done to help make communities affected by climate change more resilient. This includes a requirement to review their Strategic Flood Consequences Assessments - and identify flood management schemes -within the next 12 months. The WG letter also stresses that there will be no further delay to the operation of the TAN.

We are awaiting further information on two other aspects. The first is whether the direction associated with the new TAN 15 (requiring planning authorities to notify Welsh Government officials when they are minded to approve planning applications for highly vulnerable development in high-risk zones) will apply in the meantime. The second is the need for concise drainage statements (when the Applicant chooses not to seek SuDS (Sustainable Drainage System) approval at the same time as making a planning application). The position on both should be clearer once the Chief Planner and Deputy Director of Water, Flood and Coal Tip Safety have issued their letter on this matter. This should also provide guidance on procedural implications for development plans, development management and flood risk management.

The existing TAN 15, published in 2004, and the Development Advice Map will continue as the framework for assessing flood risk in the planning system. As signalled above, there will be no further extension for the new TAN beyond 1st June 2023 and the Flood Map for Planning will form the basis of TAN 15 at that time.