….how bad flooding in the UK can be. As we approach the summer flooding is a long way from many of our minds. In fact, we are already seeing the cracked ground here in Sussex and we are all too familiar with the low levels of rain we have seen in recent years during the summer. But this post on a popular news site shows some very interesting before and after pictures from a range of flooded areas in the UK only a few years ago https://www.buzzfeed.com/matthewtucker/shocking-before-and-after-photos-of-uk-flooding  really brings it all into sharp focus again.

Flooding in Action

These images show just how serious flooding can be in the UK. While the pictures may not show raging rivers destroying whole towns that many of us will have seen on TV in other countries after huge seismic events and the like they do show that even a few feet of water can bring a town to a halt and cause millions of pounds worth of damage. It is easy to see the waters over the level of most front doors which means the water will have made its way into most of the ground floors of the affected properties. The residue and silt left behind from that kind of ingress can take weeks to clean up and will have destroyed the flooring in most cases and in some caused structural damage.

Becoming More Common

On average flooding is becoming more common in the UK as it is in many other parts of the world. The reasons for this are mixed but climate change clearly plays a part. On top of that the way we have created the built environment around us also causes problems. In many cases towns and its buildings were created before flooding was a consideration and as such paid very little mind to drainage and run off. Sadly by paving over the earths natural drainage mechanisms we have caused ourselves some problems. Thankfully these days there are a lot of regulations involved in any planning application and we work very hard indeed providing 100s of developers with details flood risk assessments and drainage strategies to make sure not only do they get planning permission but that their development will not compound flooding problems and should actually help improve things in many cases.

Flood Mitigation

One of the key factors in many of our reports and strategies is working on flood mitigation methods which allow any flooding to drain away from buildings. While on one hand a building owner just wants to protect their own property the planning authorities quite rightly need to see systems in place to make sure it isn’t pushed from one property to another. Flood mitigation systems can be man made technical systems but quite often they can be using more natural techniques like water gardens. These often stunning gardens are designed to capture flood water and allow it to drain away slowly through the substrates and surfaces. Other options are porous surfaces for car parks and driveways which allow water to drain away rather than flowing over and into buildings. Drainage ditches and many other options are available to allow the built environment to work alongside the natural one in order to prevent flooding.

The Future

While we can’t stop rainfall we can certainly manage what happens to it when it lands. Our dedicated team are at the cutting edge of flood risk assessment and drainage strategy technology and are ready to work with you on your planning application today so get in touch and speak to one of the team to find out more.