Flood Map for Planning / Development Advice Map
Development Advice Map
The Development Advice Map and associated planning policy TAN15: Development and Flood Risk is the current framework for assessing flood risk to and from new development.
The Development Advice Map is used as a screening tool by Local Authorities to understand where further assessment of flooding may be needed.
(Right click on the map button to open it in a new tab)
Flood Map for Planning
A revised TAN15 is due to be implemented in June 2023. This will be supported by the new Flood Map for Planning, which includes climate change information to show how this will affect flood risk extents over the next century. It shows the potential extent of flooding assuming no defences are in place.
The Flood Map for Planning has no official status for planning purposes until June 2023. However local authorities must review their Strategic Flood Consequence Assessments by November 2022 in line with the new TAN15 and Flood Map for Planning.
Natural Resources Wales may also use the Flood Map for Planning data as the ‘best available information’ on flood risk to inform our planning advice.
More information on the formal implementation of the new TAN15 and Flood Map for Planning is set out in the Written Statement from the Welsh Government
The Flood Map for Planning has two views:
- Basic - this includes enough data for high level screening against TAN 15
- Detailed - this includes extra detail that can be used for Flood Consequences Assessments
(Right click on the map button to open it in a new tab)
For present day, defended flood risk, view our Flood Risk Assessment Wales map. This map has no official status for planning purposes, as it does not consider the impact of climate change in the future. Together the two maps form the Wales Flood Map.
What do the map layers mean?
The Flood Map for Planning has the following layers, which show the potential extent of flooding, assuming no defences are in place:
Rivers – Flood Zone 2
Areas with 0.1% to 1% (1 in 1000 to 1 in 100) chance of flooding from rivers in a given year, including the effects of climate change.
Rivers – Flood Zone 3
Areas with more than 1% (1 in 100) chance of flooding from rivers in a given year, including the effects of climate change.
Rivers & Sea – Flood Zone 2
The combined 0.1% risk of flooding from rivers and the sea including climate change.
Rivers & Sea – Flood Zone 3
The combined 1% risk of flooding from rivers and the sea including climate change.
Sea – Flood Zone 2
Areas with 0.1% to 0.5% (1 in 1000 to 1 in 200) chance of flooding from the sea in a given year, including the effects of climate change.
Sea – Flood Zone 3
Surface Water and Small Watercourses – Flood Zone 2
Areas with 0.1% to 1% (1 in 1000 to 1 in 100) chance of flooding from surface water and/or small watercourses in a given year, including the effects of climate change.
Surface Water and Small Watercourses – Flood Zone 3
Areas with more than 1% (1 in 100) chance of flooding from surface water and/or small watercourses in a given year, including the effects of climate change
TAN15 Defended Zones
Area that benefit from Risk Management Authority flood defences with the following minimum Standard of Protection:
- 1 in 100 year (present day) for rivers
- 1 in 200 year (present day) for the sea
For flood defences built from 2016 onwards there must be allowance for climate change and design freeboard.
Recorded Flood Extents
Areas that are recorded as having flooded previously.
Flood defence location
More information about the location and standard of protection of formal flood risk defences.
Flood risk from reservoirs
More information about reservoir flood risk.
Main rivers
More information about main rivers. If a planning proposal is next to a main river, you may need a permit in addition to planning permission.
NRW Local Model Manager
Areas where NRW holds detailed local flood models, which may be useful to help inform a flood consequences assessment to support a planning application. Contact datadistribution@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk to ask for access to this data.
Shoreline Management Plans & coastal erosion
More information about Shoreline Management Plans and coastal erosion. You will need to consider these plans for coastal development proposals. Erosion rates on the map are for short, medium and longer term periods. These are based on ‘confidence bandings’ (of 5%, 50% and 95%) and follow the current Shoreline Management Plan policies.
Challenging our flood maps
Find out more about our flood risk mapping information, including guidance about:
Developing your own hydraulic models
Modelling for Flood Consequence Assessments
Map updates
We update the Flood Map for Planning on behalf of the Welsh Government every year in:
- late May
- late November
We list these updates below but only include changes to:
- Rivers Flood Zones
- Sea Flood Zones
- Rivers and Sea Flood Zones
- TAN15 Defended Zones
Contact us about about updates to other layers in the areas below.
May 2022 update
Published 30 May 2022.
PDF Map books show the detail of the changes. These maps show the difference in flood extents between the March 2022 and May 2022 publication.
Updates to TAN15 Defended Zones:
- A new Sea TAN15 Defended Zone was created for Aberaeron.
- A Sea TAN15 Defended Zone was removed at Marshes, Newport.
Updates to Rivers Flood Zones:
- River Daron at Aberdaron
- River Cresswell at Begelly
- River Hoddnant at Boverton
- River Wye at Builth Wells
- River Towy at Carmarthen
- Nant y Glasdwr at Cwmffrwd
- River Giedd at Cwmgiedd
- River Tawe at Cwmtwrch
- River Rhythalit at Cwm Y Glo
- River Aman at Glanamman
- River Western Cleddau at Haverfordwest
- River Ganol at Llandudno Junction
- River Towy at Llandeilo
- River Llanfairfechan at Llanfairfechan
- River Ceunant at Llanfihangel y Creuddyn
- River Morlais at Llangennech
- River Dulais at Llanwrda
- River Dovey at Machynlleth
- Melincourt Brook at Melincourt
- River Pennal at Pennal
- River Solva at Solva
- River Aeron at Tal Sarn
- Lledan Brook at Welshpool
- River Taf at Whitland
March 2022 Update
Published 17 March 2022. This was a delayed publication from November 2021.
Updates to TAN15 Defended Zones:
- A River TAN15 Defended Zone was removed at Llangennech
- A River TAN15 Defended Zone was removed at Ponthir
- A Sea TAN15 Defended Zone was created at Crofty
Updates to Rivers Flood Zones:
- River Adda at Bangor on Dee
- River Cadnant at Caernarfon
- River Severn at Caersws
- River Dee at Corwen
- River Wnion at Dolgellau
- River Henddol at Fairbourne
- River Cegidog at Ffrith
- River Cegidog at Llandrillo
- River Lliw at Llanuwchllyn
- River Rheidol at Aberystwyth
- River Loughor at Ammanford
- Nant Dyfatty at Burry Port
- River Cadoxton at Cadoxton
- Morlais River at Crofty
- River Towy at Llandovery
- River Teifi at Llandysul Pentre Cwrt
- River Rhymney at Llanederyn
- River Usk at Llanfoist
- River Llwyd at Pontypool, Cwmbran and Ponthir
- Ogwr Fawr at Ogmore Vale
- River Ewenny at Pencoed
- River Tawe at Pontardawe
- River Dutlais at Pontardulais
- River Avan at Port Talbort
- River Cynffig at Pyle
- River Neath at Resolven
- River Cynin at St Clears
- Rivers Ely and Taff at Cardiff
- River Rhymney at Ystrad Mynach
- Pant Basin at Merthyr Tydfil
- River Alyn at Rhydymwyn
GIS data
If you need to download GIS data, many of the map layers can be downloaded from DataMapWales.
Acknowledgements
Contains Natural Resources Wales information © Natural Resources Wales and database right. All rights reserved. Some features of this information are based on digital spatial data licensed from the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology © UKCEH, the Environment Agency © EA and Getmapping Plc and Bluesky International Limited [2015]. Defra, Met Office and DARD Rivers Agency © Crown copyright. © Cranfield University. © James Hutton Institute. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right. Land & Property Services © Crown copyright and database r