Basement in flood risk zone 3

Q: This project is delayed for almost two years because issues with the PP but we want to excavate a basement in a flood zone 3 area right next to the Thames.He applied several times for full planning and got refused for different reasons, started an appeal that he withdraw later.

A: Table 2 of the Flood Risk and Coastal Change NPPG confirms that basement level accommodation is in the highly vulnerable classification for flooding and as such should not be proposed within Flood Risk Zone 3 as it cannot be made safe for the lifetime of the development. New dwellings at basement level and within FRZ3 should be avoided at all costs.