Flood Risk Activity Permit (FRAP)

Environmental Permit for Flood Risk Activities

If your proposed project involves construction, groundworks or engineering work on or near a watercourse, sea wall or flood defence structure, you need to make sure that you have the correct statutory permissions in place before you start work or when you need to apply for planning permission.

Any activities carried out in these controlled zones without prior approval risk breaking the law, leaving developers and landowners vulnerable to strict enforcement actions, heavy fines and stop notices.

Using a flood risk activity permit (FRAP), you can ensure that your development complies with current environmental regulations, helping to manage risks, protect the local environment and stop your works from outcomes that could increase flood risk.

What are Flood Risk Activity Permits?

A flood risk activity permit (FRAP) is the environmental permit required for regulated work on, over, under or near a main river, flood defence or sea defence.

Issued by the Environment Agency (EA) in England and Natural Resources Wales in Wales, it guarantees that proposed development doesn’t impair flood risk management, damage infrastructure or disrupt natural water systems.

If the proposed activities fall within specific boundary limits, you will need permission and will also have to verify if you need a flood risk evaluation. The boundary limits include:

• Any activity within 8 metres of a non-tidal main river or flood defence structure
• Any works within 16 metres of a sea defence structure
• Any works within 17 metres of specific regional sea wall zones
• Any works directly along the bank of a main river
• Land falling within the designated floodplain of a main river or a defined flood zone

If the development is near a main river, a FRAP is the correct route to go down. If the works affect streams and ditches (or usually small rivers), however, a FRAP would not apply.

Instead, obtaining ordinary watercourse consent (formerly known as flood defence consent) from the lead local flood authority (LLFA) or local internal drainage board would be a legal requirement.

Each Specific Type of FRAP

As a way of keeping the application process proportionate, regulators split flood risk activity permits into distinct tiers based on the scheme’s potential impacts and overall flood risk impact.

By understanding which category your activity meets, you can ensure that you apply for a permit using the correct pathway.

Regulators operate three regulatory pathways for flood risk activities depending on site risk:

1. Exemptions and Exclusions: Low-risk or other flood risk activities that do not require a paid permit, as long as you meet specific criteria and register the works before starting.
2. Standard Rules Permits: Pre-defined permits with fixed rules, standard descriptions and conditions for common or lower-risk engineering works; if your site meets all standard rules criteria, processing is streamlined.
3. Bespoke Permits: Dedicated permissions required for complex, high-risk or unique schemes that fall outside of the standard parameters.

For schemes that need full authorisation beyond an exemption, regulators will issue two types of formal permits: standard rules permits for routine and lower-risk operations, and bespoke permits for unique and complex developments.

Potential Purposes for Permits

A wide variety of common activities need formal clearance.

If the planning project could affect the flow of water, alter water level, impact any structure near a flood defence or, for example, restrict a flow in the river nearby, you will need to apply for permission.

Whether you’re introducing a permanent or temporary structure into the environment or undertaking ground alterations across different phases of development, specific works that routinely mean you need a permit include:

• Altering existing structures and river control works
• Carrying out drainage work, channel realignment, bed dredging or hydrodynamic dredging that disturbs natural materials
• Constructing or modifying a bank culvert, outfall or fish passes
• Erecting a temporary structure designed to divert flood waters, impede water flow or improve the flow of water during construction
• Installing a pipe crossing or placing erosion protection along vulnerable river banks
• Undertaking major quarrying or excavation close to a river

Regulators will evaluate each scheme to ensure that they don’t obstruct flood flow, alter a low-lying flood-plain or in any way compromise wider water quality.

Exemptions for Permits

Not all works near controlled watercourses need a full application.

In the case of certain low-risk operations or emergency works, they can be carried out under an exemption, as long as the work meets strict statutory criteria.

Examples of exempt operations include:

• Installing small scientific monitoring apparatus on a non-commercial basis
• Carrying out minor agricultural activities*
• Clearing localised debris
• Conducting minor repair works on existing structures

*such as building agricultural hay stacks or straw stacks, or constructing small manure clamps outside primary school flood pathways.

Even when an exemption applies, registering it online with the regulator is mandatory before you start work.

If your development scheme involves complex or combined activities, an exemption will not cover you, and a bespoke application will be needed.

Applying for Flood Risk Activity Permits

Submitting a FRAP application involves clear technical documentation, precise drawings and compliance with the parameters the Environment Agency sets.

FRAP Application Process

1. Pre-Application Screening

Conducting the initial site surveys and checking the environmental constraint maps to verify if the site sits near a main river or near a flood defence.

2. Identify the Right Permit Tier

Working out if the scheme qualifies under fixed rules via a standard rules permit or needs a custom bespoke permit.

3. Compile Technical Documentation

Preparing clear site plans, engineering cross-sections and an environmental management system, as well as any necessary supporting information.

4. Submit your Application

Sending all completed forms* alongside statutory fees to the regulator (such as, for example, the EA processing team at the NPS Sheffield quadrant)

5. Regulator Determination

Complex bespoke applications may undergo public consultation involving local communities and public bodies before the final permit conditions are granted.

*Most applications need the following forms:

• Form Part A
• Form Part B10 / B4
• Form Part F1

Advice for a Successful Application

By providing the right technical evidence, you can secure your application, avoid legal issues and bypass unexpected delays.

For most schemes, regulators expect detailed information that aligns with your local planning authority requirements.

Key elements in a smooth approval include:

• Correct Documentation: Completing the precise forms for your permit category using the standard templates.
• Flood Risk Assessment (FRA): A site-specific flood risk assessment showing how the planning project will not increase off-site flood hazards or adversely affect local drainage.
• Hydraulic Assessment: Detailed modelling showing that introducing any temporary or permanent structure or modifying a defence structure or culvert will not restrict the flow of water during extreme storm events.
• Planning Alignment: Making sure that the environmental permit applications align directly with your planning permission, ensuring that both regulatory tracks move forward together without conflict.

By taking time to prepare the documents correctly up front, you are following the best way to avoid costly delays with your construction schedule.

Ask for Guidance with Flood Risk Permits

When developers and planners actually come to working environmental permissions and local planning requirements into their plans, there are several key considerations to consider.

Between the Environment Agency’s role and the detailed assessment for any work on or near a watercourse or sea defence structure, remote defence structure or culvert you could be dealing with, a development site can raise a lot of issues.

Although we don’t provide professional advice first-hand, we can connect developers, architects and land managers directly to qualified hydrologists to ensure that you get permission without any statutory delays.

With a referral from 24Housing, you can get the expert help you need, support to improve flow on any temporary or permanent structure, and the steps that will point you towards getting planning consent.

Message Our Team for Help

Regardless of where you are in the planning process, the specialists we work with can help you at any stage, from designing your scheme to addressing planning conditions and showing compliance with flood risk regulations.

You can get a free quote simply by getting in touch and giving us as much information as you can about your development site and planning project. To do this, simply call us, fill out a quote form on our website, email us, or refer to our other contact details on our helpful contact page.