Evidence base documents

Strategic flood risk assessment

Parts of Pendle have a long history of flooding. It is important to understand flood risk and its implications for future development.

The Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) is a key part of the evidence base for the Local Plan. It looks at flood risk from all sources, and takes into account the potential impacts of climate change. The findings of the assessment influence the location of new development in Pendle.

Our first SFRA was prepared in November 2006. This was updated in December 2021.

The SFRA takes a risk-based approach to assessing development and flood risk. It uses the Environment Agency Flood Zones, which show areas at risk of flooding from rivers when the presence of flood defences are ignored. It also looks at the potential for surface water flooding.

The new SFRA conforms to the latest government guidance and is in two parts:

Level 1 SFRA

This is updated on a regular basis. It provides an overview of all sources of flood risk in the borough. It forms the basis for guiding development to the areas with the lowest risk of flooding.

You can download the following documents:

Level 2 SFRA

A Level 2 SFRA looks in detail at any potential site allocations located in areas where there is a degree of flood risk. The assessment looks at whether these sites can be developed safely and sustainably for the proposed use. It also considers whether the risk from flooding is acceptably safe throughout its lifetime.

Pendle currently does not have a Level 2 SFRA.