Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment
A preliminary flood risk assessment is a high-level assessment of local flood risk and historic and potential floods to help identify where future floods may cause a risk.
On 22 December 2011, Preliminary Flood Risk Assessments (PFRAs) were made available to the public through the Environment Agency Wales web site portal. For the first time, an assessment of local flood risk has been produced by all 174 Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs) in England and Wales. They fulfil statutory requirements under the EU Floods Directive, which is implemented in England and Wales by the Flood Risk Regulations 2009 (the Regulations). They will be used to inform decision-making and enable targeted action by local authorities.
Click on the link below to see the City and County of Swansea PFRA
Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment (PDF) [1MB]
Addendum Review of 1st Cycle - Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment (PDF) [5KB]
What is a PFRA?
A PFRA is a high-level assessment of local flood risk, involving the collection and reporting of information on past (historic) and future (potential) floods to identify where the risk of flooding may be an issue within a LLFA area. In addition, information in the PFRA is used to confirm Flood Risk Areas - areas where flood risk is a significant issue and the next stages of the EU Floods Directive apply.
PFRAs only cover local sources of flood risk ie flooding from ordinary watercourses (small rivers, streams and ditches), surface runoff and ground water. They do not include flood risk from main rivers, the sea and reservoirs, as these sources of flooding are the responsibility of the Environment Agency. However they do consider interactions with all potential sources of flooding where appropriate.
Why are PFRAs important?
PFRAs provide a comprehensive assessment of flood risk from local sources across all of England and Wales for the first time. They will be used to provide the evidence base for LLFAs to develop their local flood risk management strategies which are required under the Flood and Water Management Act.
Who has been involved in producing PFRAs?
LLFAs were responsible for developing PFRAs. Responsibilities under the Regulations are consistent with the Flood and Water Management Act, which gives local authorities a role to co-ordinate the management of local sources of flood risk.
How were Flood Risk Areas identified?
Defra and Welsh Government issued guidance on a method for selecting and reviewing Flood Risk Areas which included setting criteria and thresholds. The thresholds were determined by Ministers
There are ten 'indicative Flood Risk Areas in England covering approximately a third of properties at risk of surface water flooding in England with Eight identified in Wales covering approximately 40 per cent of properties at risk of surface water flooding in Wales.