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

38planning authority to ensure that the necessary flood risk screening informationor more detailed flood risk assessment is presented for consideration.5.6 Where flood issues are present, the planning authority should highlight thepolicies and objectives of the development plan in relation to flood risk and,if available information on flood zones.Planning Guidelines5.7 Ideally, at this preliminary stage, proposals should show the location, broadnature and extent of a proposed development including, where appropriate,the provision of adequate development-free, riparian strips for rivermaintenance. Where flood risk is present an applicant, in preparing adevelopment proposal, should be advised of the importance of addressingflood risk by adopting a sequential approach in terms of location of uses inareas of lower risk, the consideration of less vulnerable use types and othermitigation through design measures. Sustainable drainage should be integralto the design and formulation of proposals at this stage.Lodgement5.8 Any known flood history on or affecting the application site should be declaredon the application form, as required by the Planning and DevelopmentRegulations 2006. An area with no history of flooding does not mean that itis not at risk from flooding. The application should be accompanied, wherenecessary, by an appropriate flood risk assessment. The need for a flood riskassessment should be identified at the pre-application stage from a flood riskscreening assessment, using the available sources of information includingthose listed in Appendix A.5.9 The flood risk assessment should be incorporated into the EIA process whereone is required. The flood risk assessment should be approved/certified bya competent person, qualified and experienced in flood risk assessments (seeAppendix A).Processing5.10 The planning regulations and the Development Management Guidelines(2007) set out in detail the appropriate procedures for processing an application.All applications with flood risk issues should be forwarded to the relevanttechnical sections of the planning authority for comment. Where these issuesare complex in nature, the planning authority may wish to engage appropriateexternal advice.5.11 In terms of flooding, it will be important to:• Notify prescribed bodies of the application, e.g. the fisheries board, ifmitigation measures to banks are proposed; and• Assess the application, based on the full range of planning considerations.