Development plan zoning and flood risk avoidance

Development plans need to take account of the potential risks from all sources of flooding over the plan period and beyond as this is likely to influence decisions on such matters as the zoning of land for various uses including residential or economic development. Development Plans should avoid zoning sites for development in flood risk areas. Outside of such areas it may still be appropriate for the Plan to mitigate against the risk of possible flooding, for example, by requiring susceptible areas within development sites to be retained as open space or indicating where the use of water resistant materials and forms of construction will be considered necessary.