This page relates to the Level 2 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) for Weymouth. The council is obliged to complete SFRA for its area to help guide work on local and neighbourhood plans, and decision taking on planning applications.

Purpose of SFRA

SFRA provide an overview of the risks from all sources of flooding, assessments of the cumulative impacts that development might have on flood risks and forecasts of the effects of climate change on flood risks.

Background to the Level 2 SFRA for Weymouth Town Centre

Weymouth Town Centre is particularly vulnerable to many sources of flooding because of its position at the mouth of the River Wey, coastal frontage and underlying geology. This creates significant challenges around safeguarding existing homes and businesses, as well as supporting much needed regeneration. Regeneration will be key to addressing some of the social and economic challenges which the town faces.

Alongside the council’s comprehensive flood and coastal risk management (FCRM) scheme, the SFRA provides the evidence to ensure that the risks from flooding are taken into consideration when developing proposals for the town’s regeneration. The council has and will continue to work closely with the Environment Agency, Lead Local Flood Authority and Wessex Water on both the SFRA and FCRM scheme.

The FCRM scheme to improve and replace existing flood and coastal defences is set to offer greater protection from the risks connected with flooding and coastal erosion to over 1,000 properties. The FCRM scheme, alongside measures delivered on a site by site basis as guided by the Level 2 SFRA, will provide a framework for demonstrating that new development will be safe over its lifetime and therefore support the regeneration of those town centre sites that are affected by flood risks. 

Working alongside the Environment Agency the council is preparing updates to the standing advice note relating to Weymouth Town Centre. The standing advice note will outline those site-specific measures that will be necessary to ensure that development remains safe from flood risks over its lifetime. It is likely to include recommendations relating to finished floor levels (based on design flood levels) and suggestions for flood resistance and resilience measures to be incorporated into the fabric of new buildings.

The scope of this Level 2 SFRA is limited to Weymouth Town Centre area as it is defined in the West Dorset and Weymouth & Portland Local Plan (2015) and the Weymouth Town Centre Masterplan (2015) excluding Bincleaves Cove. 

A map (reference Figure 7.1) taken from the adopted West Dorset, Weymouth and Portland Local Plan (2015) showing the area defined as ‘Weymouth Town Centre Strategy Area’ and each of the areas within the town centre area that are defined for purposes of local plan policies WEY 2 to WEY8.

The SFRA is based upon the most up to date and accurate information that is currently available. It also provides long term forecasts (to 2138) of flood risk which take account of climate change. As time passes the assessments in the SFRA will need to be reviewed and updated to reflect new evidence (including updated allowances for the impacts of climate change and new flood risk models) as our understanding of these issues changes.

Further work and ongoing review

The SFRA is an important evidence document which must be taken into consideration when preparing local and neighbourhood plans and when taking decisions on planning applications. In the short term the work on the Weymouth FCRM scheme, updates to the standing advice and more detailed site-specific Flood Risk Assessments (FEA) provide a mechanism for identifying and delivering appropriate measures to control, manage and mitigate flood risks over the lifetime of new developments connected with the town centre’s regeneration.

In the medium term the council will take account of the latest evidence on flood risk when working on its new local plan. As part of this process, it will review existing policy allocations for the town centre in the West Dorset and Weymouth and Portland Local Plan (2015), consider specific policies to control vulnerable types of development in the town centre and reserve land for flood and coastal defence infrastructure. The council will also take the requirements to control, manage and mitigate against flood risks into account when working on updates to the Weymouth Town Centre masterplan and any design coding work.

The changing nature of flood risks affecting the town centre mean that the council will need to regularly review its approach to this issue in the longer term, taking account of the nature of forecast risks and the opportunities to effectively control, manage and mitigate these risks. Further updates to the existing evidence base are likely to be required on a regular basis to guide this future work.

Level 2 SFRA reports and maps

The Level 2 SFRA was undertaken by JBA Consulting for Dorset Council. JBA Consulting prepared an overarching report entitled:

Several technical reports were also prepared to explain the parameters, data and modelling that was used to assess the flood risks from different sources of flooding.

Detailed flood risk maps have been prepared as part of the Level 2 SFRA for sites relating to Policies WEY2 to WEY8 of the adopted local plan. The maps show:

  • fluvial flood risks and fluvial flood risks with an allowance for climate change
  • surface water flood risks and surface water flood risks with an allowance for climate change
  • tidal flood risks and the tidal flood risks with an allowance for climate change
  • groundwater flood risks
  • flood history
  • defences
  • modelled breach scenarios in the event that defences fail and modelled breach scenarios in the event that defences fail with an allowance for climate change
  • flood warning areas
  • the functional floodplain

A site ‘summary’ report has also been prepared for each policy area. These reports provide contextual site information, describe the nature of the risks from each of the different sources of flooding (fluvial, surface water, tidal and ground water), reference existing and proposed defences, describe the residual flood risks (i.e. those remaining risks after applying mitigating measures) and make recommendations as to how risks could be managed or mitigated (including minimum floor levels for proposed development).

Please follow the links for each of the town centre sites to open a separate web page showing the relevant maps and a site ‘summary’ report.

WEY2 - Town Centre Core and Commercial Road

Site ‘summary’ report for policy area WEY2

WEY2 Fluvial flood risks to show:

WEY2 Fluvial flood risks with an allowance for climate change to show:

WEY2 Surface water flood risks

With no downstream boundary to show:

Tidal downstream boundary to show:

Fluvial downstream boundary to show:

WEY2 Surface water flood risks with an allowance for climate change

With no downstream boundary to show:

Tidal downstream boundary to show:

Fluvial downstream boundary to show:

WEY2 Tidal flood risks to show:

WEY2 Tidal flood risks with an allowance for climate change to show:

WEY2 maps to show risk of groundwater emergence:

WEY2 maps to show historic flood outlines:

WEY2 Defences:

WEY2 Modelled breach scenarios if defences fail

At Commercial Alban to show:

At Westham Bridge to show:

WEY2 Modelled breach scenarios (taking account of proposed defences) if defences fail with an allowance for climate change

At Commercial Alban to show:

At Westham Bridge to show:

WEY2 maps to show where flooding could occur and the Environment Agency provides a Flood Warning Service:

WEY2 the area where flood water has to flow or be stored during a flood:

WEY3 - Station Area and Swannery Car Park

Site ‘summary’ report for policy area WEY3

WEY3 Fluvial flood risks to show:

WEY3 Fluvial flood risks with an allowance for climate change to show:

WEY3 Surface water flood risks

With no downstream boundary to show:

Tidal downstream boundary to show:

Fluvial downstream boundary to show:

WEY3 Surface water flood risks with an allowance for climate change

With no downstream boundary to show:

Tidal downstream boundary to show:

Fluvial downstream boundary to show:

WEY3 Tidal flood risks to show:

WEY3 Tidal flood risks with an allowance for climate change to show:

WEY3 maps to show risk of groundwater emergence:

WEY3 maps to show historic flood outlines:

WEY3 Defences:

WEY3 Modelled breach scenarios if defences fail

At Westham Bridge to show:

WEY3 Modelled breach scenarios (taking account of proposed defences) if defences fail with an allowance for climate change

At Westham Bridge to show:

WEY3 maps to show where flooding could occur and the Environment Agency provides a Flood Warning Service:

WEY3 the area where flood water has to flow or be stored during a flood:

 

WEY4 - Custom House Quay and Brewery Waterfront

Site ‘summary’ report for policy area WEY4

WEY4 Fluvial flood risks to show:

WEY4 Fluvial flood risks with an allowance for climate change to show:

WEY4 Surface water flood risks

With no downstream boundary to show:

Tidal downstream boundary to show:

Fluvial downstream boundary to show:

WEY4 Surface water flood risks with an allowance for climate change

With no downstream boundary to show:

Tidal downstream boundary to show:

Fluvial downstream boundary to show:

WEY4 Tidal flood risks to show:

WEY4 Tidal flood risks with an allowance for climate change to show:

WEY4 maps to show risk of groundwater emergence:

WEY4 maps to show historic flood outlines:

WEY4 Defences:

WEY4 Modelled breach scenarios if defences fail

At Cove Row to show:

At Town Bridge Downstream to show:

WEY2 Modelled breach scenarios (taking account of proposed defences) if defences fail with an allowance for climate change

At Cove Row to show:

At Town Bridge Downstream to show:

WEY4 maps to show where flooding could occur and the Environment Agency provides a Flood Warning Service:

WEY4 the area where flood water has to flow or be stored during a flood:

WEY5 - The Esplanade (South)

Site ‘summary’ report for policy area WEY5

WEY5 Fluvial flood risks to show:

WEY5 Fluvial flood risks with an allowance for climate change to show:

WEY5 Surface water flood risks

With no downstream boundary to show:

Tidal downstream boundary to show:

Fluvial downstream boundary to show:

WEY5 Surface water flood risks with an allowance for climate change

With no downstream boundary to show:

Tidal downstream boundary to show:

Fluvial downstream boundary to show:

WEY5 Tidal flood risks to show:

WEY5 Tidal flood risks with an allowance for climate change to show:

WEY5 maps to show risk of groundwater emergence:

WEY5 maps to show historic flood outlines:

WEY5 Defences:

WEY5 Modelled breach scenarios if defences fail

No modelled flood extent is presented for this scenario as there is technically no raised defence along this section of shoreline. Flood levels in the modelled present day 1 in 200 year coastal flood event do not reach the level of the promenade.

WEY5 Modelled breach scenarios (taking account of proposed defences) if defences fail with an allowance for climate change

At Beach Promenade to show:

WEY5 maps to show where flooding could occur and the Environment Agency provides a Flood Warning Service:

WEY5 the area where flood water has to flow or be stored during a flood:

WEY6 - Ferry Peninsula

Site ‘summary’ report for policy area WEY6

WEY6 Fluvial flood risks to show:

WEY6 Fluvial flood risks with an allowance for climate change to show:

WEY6 Surface water flood risks

With no downstream boundary to show:

Tidal downstream boundary to show:

Fluvial downstream boundary to show:

WEY6 Surface water flood risks with an allowance for climate change

With no downstream boundary to show:

Tidal downstream boundary to show:

Fluvial downstream boundary to show:

WEY6 Tidal flood risks to show:

WEY6 Tidal flood risks with an allowance for climate change to show:

WEY6 maps to show risk of groundwater emergence:

WEY6 maps to show historic flood outlines:

WEY6 Defences:

WEY6 Modelled breach scenarios if defences fail

At Ferry Terminal to show:

WEY6 Modelled breach scenarios (taking account of proposed defences) if defences fail with an allowance for climate change

At Ferry Terminal to show:

WEY6 maps to show where flooding could occur and the Environment Agency provides a Flood Warning Service:

WEY6 the area where flood water has to flow or be stored during a flood:

WEY7 - Westway Road and North Quay area

Site ‘summary’ report for policy area WEY7

WEY7 Fluvial flood risks to show:

WEY7 Fluvial flood risks with an allowance for climate change to show:

WEY7 Surface water flood risks

With no downstream boundary to show:

Tidal downstream boundary to show:

Fluvial downstream boundary to show:

WEY7 Surface water flood risks with an allowance for climate change

With no downstream boundary to show:

Tidal downstream boundary to show:

Fluvial downstream boundary to show:

WEY7 Tidal flood risks to show:

WEY7 Tidal flood risks with an allowance for climate change to show:

WEY7 maps to show risk of groundwater emergence:

WEY7 maps to show historic flood outlines:

WEY7 Defences:

WEY7 Modelled breach scenarios if defences fail

At Westway Road to show:

WEY7 Modelled breach scenarios (taking account of proposed defences) if defences fail with an allowance for climate change

At Westway Road to show:

WEY7 maps to show where flooding could occur and the Environment Agency provides a Flood Warning Service:

WEY7 the area where flood water has to flow or be stored during a flood:

WEY8 - Lodmoor Gateway

Site ‘summary’ report for policy area WEY8

WEY8 Fluvial flood risks to show:

WEY8 Fluvial flood risks with an allowance for climate change to show:

WEY8 Surface water flood risks

With no downstream boundary to show:

Tidal downstream boundary to show:

Fluvial downstream boundary to show:

WEY8 Surface water flood risks with an allowance for climate change

With no downstream boundary to show:

Tidal downstream boundary to show:

Fluvial downstream boundary to show:

WEY8 Tidal flood risks to show:

WEY8 Tidal flood risks with an allowance for climate change to show:

WEY8 maps to show risk of groundwater emergence:

WEY8 maps to show historic flood outlines:

WEY8 Defences:

WEY8 Modelled breach scenarios if defences fail

At Lodmoor Nature to show:

WEY8 Modelled breach scenarios (taking account of proposed defences) if defences fail with an allowance for climate change

At Lodmoor Nature to show:

WEY8 maps to show where flooding could occur and the Environment Agency provides a Flood Warning Service:

WEY8 the area where flood water has to flow or be stored during a flood: