1. Introduction

The purpose of this Level 1 SFRA is to provide a strategic overview of all forms of flood risk throughout the study area, now and in the future. This document and associated mapping delivered as part of the SFRA, will be used as an evidence base by the Boroughs to inform the preparation of Local Plans, including the application of the sequential test to future site allocations. In addition to providing an evidence base, the SFRA will provide each Borough with robust information which should be used to:

• Determine the variations in risk from all sources of flooding across their areas.
• Inform the Sustainability Appraisal so that flood risk is fully taken into account in assessment of Local Plans.
• Provide the evidence needed to inform the undertaking of the Sequential Test in determining the land use allocations in accordance with the NPPF, and how to apply the Sequential Test for windfall sites within the boroughs.
• Develop policies to manage the effects of climate change and flood risk from all sources.

It is intended that this Level 1 SFRA will provide a starting point for improved strategic and partnership working by considering the scope for future common approaches for managing flood risk across the study area. This reflects the challenges posed to the Boroughs through the need for increased development.

This SFRA is published in a website format. The website is broken down into six sections, as described below:

• Section 1 (Introduction) provides an overview of the purpose and objectives of the SFRA. This section provides context for having a joint SFRA, with a summary of the current status of each Boroughs Local Plans.
• Section 2 (Planning and Policy Framework) provides an overview of the relevant national, regional, and sub-regional policies relating to flood risk and associated requirements. An overview of each Boroughs key local policies is included.
• Section 3 (Sources and Assessment of Flood Risk) provides an overview of the flood risk from all sources across the study area, including climate change implications where this information is available. This section introduces the West London SFRA interactive map which depicts the various flood risks across the study area.
• Section 4 (Flood Risk Assessment Guidance) provides guidance for developers undertaking Flood Risk Assessments (FRA) for proposed development sites within any of the six boroughs. Borough-specific guidance is included where any key differences exist. This section explains the Sequential Test and Exception Test and how to apply the boroughs’ method for the split of Flood Zone 3, including the Functional Floodplain.
• Section 5 (Policy Recommendations) provides a set of recommended site-specific and strategic policies. These recommendations are based on the findings of this SFRA, which the Boroughs are advised to incorporate into future versions of their Local Plans and/or associated guidance documents. An overview of the potential impact that future growth could have on flood risk across the study area is provided. Any opportunities for improved strategic flood risk management methods, including possible funding mechanisms, to assist with Boroughs growth delivery requirements are also highlighted.
• Section 6 (Review and Next Step) provides a summary of the proposed update schedule for the SFRA (the technical content and the mapping). Recommendations for the need to conduct a Level 2 SFRA are also included based upon the findings of flood risk screening assessments of borough site allocations (included in Appendix A).

This SFRA has appendices and additional content as described below:

• Appendix A (SFRA Level 2 – Screening Assessment) contains a spreadsheet that summarises the screening assessments of site allocations within each of the boroughs.
• The Web Map index also summarises the list of all data sources used in the web map, including data origin information and any key limitations.
• Checklists contains templates which developments must refer to when submitting Flood Risk Assessments and/or Drainage Strategies.

Table 1-1 below provides a status summary of the Borough-specific Local Plans at the time of writing (March 2018).

Table 1-1. Local Plan Status Summary

Local Plan Document Suite	Local Plan Core Strategy Adoption / Publication Date
Barnet Local Plan	September 2012
Brent Local Plan	July 2010
Ealing Local Plan	April 2012
Harrow Local Plan	February 2012
Hillingdon Local Plan	November 2012
Hounslow Local Plan	September 2015

This SFRA provides recommended policy improvements based on the findings presented throughout this document. These policy recommendations are for future updates of Boroughs Local Plans and are designed to aid the mitigation of flood risks and deliver sustainable future development. Further details are provided in Section 5.2.

The guidance provided in this Level 1 SFRA is used, in part, in the assessment of planning applications. However, flooding is only one of many considerations in assessing a planning application. Measures that are identified as potentially acceptable in addressing flood issues may not be acceptable for other planning reasons under certain circumstances. For example, raising floor levels to mitigate against flood risk may result in design requirement issues, necessitating alternative solutions to address the flood risk. For further information, contact the relevant LPA.