The Planning System and Flood Risk Management - Offaly County ...

2regard to the guidelines in the performance of their functions under the Act.Planning authorities are also required to make the guidelines available forinspection by members of the public.Planning GuidelinesObjectives of Guidelines1.6 These guidelines aim to integrate flood risk management into the planningprocess as indicated in Fig. 1 below, to assist in the delivery of sustainabledevelopment. This will be achieved by assessing flood risk as early as possiblein the planning process and taking it into account at all stages from nationaland regional planning, through to development plans and local area plans aswell as in development design and management.1.7 The core objectives are to:• avoid inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding;• avoid new developments increasing flood risk elsewhere, includingthat which may arise from surface run-off;• ensure effective management of residual risks for development permittedin floodplains;• avoid unnecessary restriction of national, regional or local economicand social growth;• improve the understanding of flood risk among relevant stakeholders;and• ensure that the requirements of EU and national law in relation to thenatural environment and nature conservation are complied with at allstages of flood risk management1.8 These guidelines aim to encourage a transparent consideration of flood riskin the planning process and introduce and explain a rigorous assessmentmethodology to ensure a consistency of approach throughout the country inconsidering flood risk at all stages of the planning process. The guidelineswill contribute to the avoidance or minimisation of potential future flood riskthrough a more systematic approach within a catchment context to help deliversustainable development.1.9 The key principles are to:• avoid the risk, where possible,• substitute less vulnerable uses, where avoidance is not possible, and• mitigate and manage the risk, where avoidance and substitution arenot possible.