Water

4A.13 Flood risk management

Where development in areas at risk from flooding is permitted, (taking into account the provisions of PPS 25), the Mayor will, and boroughs and other agencies should, manage the existing risk of flooding, and the future increased risk and consequences of flooding as a result of climate change, by:

• protecting the integrity of existing flood defences
• setting permanent built development back from existing flood defences to allow for the management, maintenance and upgrading of those defences to be undertaken in a sustainable and cost effective way
• incorporating flood resilient design
• establishing flood warning and emergency procedures.

Opportunities should also be taken to identify and utilise areas for flood risk management, including the creation of new floodplain or the restoration of all or part of the natural floodplain to its original function, as well as using open space in the flood plain for the attenuation of flood water.

The Mayor will and boroughs and other agencies should take fully into account the emerging findings of the Thames Estuary 2100 Study, the Regional Flood Risk Appraisal and the Thames Catchment Flood Management Plan.