McCloy Consulting Ltd | June 2026
The Environment Agency has expanded the Flood Map for Planning (FMfP) service with the publication of new surface water flood risk datasets on 28 May 2026. In addition, the update brings future surface water flood extents and detailed flood depth information into the planning mapping service for the first time, providing an additional evidence base for development planning and flood risk assessment.
Key Points
- Surface water climate change extents and depth banding have been added to FMfP.
- The Environment Agency no longer recommends using CYLTFR (Check Your Long Term Flood Risk) datasets for planning purposes.
- Flood Zones and existing present-day surface water mapping are unchanged.
- Some live planning applications may need to be reviewed against the updated datasets.
- Surface water flood risk remains under the remit of LPAs and LLFAs rather than the EA’s statutory consultation role.
- GIS users should confirm they are accessing current FMfP data feeds.
New Information Available Through FMfP
The latest release introduces two new surface water datasets.
Climate Change Surface Water Extents
The new mapping shows potential surface water flooding under the upper-end (95th percentile) climate change allowance for the 2070s epoch (2061–2125). This aligns the surface water dataset with the climate change assumptions commonly applied to river and coastal flood risk assessments.
Surface Water Flood Depths
Flood depths are now available across seven categories:
- Below 150mm
- 150–300mm
- 300–600mm
- 600–900mm
- 900–1,200mm
- 1,200–2,300mm
- Greater than 2,300mm
The depth data covers the 3.3%, 1% and 0.1% Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP) events for both present-day and climate change scenarios.
The update does not change existing Flood Zones or present-day surface water extents.. The datasets can also be accessed through the Defra Data Services Platform for GIS integration.
Why This Matters for Planning
Prior to this release, surface water flood risk assessments for planning applications often relied on information obtained from the Check Your Long Term Flood Risk service. While useful, those datasets were based on a central (50th percentile) climate change projection to the 2050s and were not developed specifically for planning applications.
The FMfP update provides data that is more closely aligned with planning requirements by incorporating:
- Upper-end climate change allowances.
- A longer-term assessment horizon extending to the 2070s.
- Detailed flood depth information.
These additions provide greater support for flood risk assessments, Sequential Testing, SuDS design and wider strategic planning studies.
Changes to Existing and active Workflows
Following publication of the new datasets, the Environment Agency advises planners and consultants to stop using CYLTFR surface water flood risk layers for development planning assessments..
This applies to both present-day and climate change surface water mapping, including flood extent and depth information. Organisations using GIS software are encouraged to use live FMfP data services to ensure mapping remains current.
Considerations for Current Applications
The Environment Agency recommends that the new datasets are adopted immediately.
Where sites are newly identified as being affected by surface water flood risk, additional assessment work may be required. This could include flood risk assessments and, where applicable, application of the Sequential Test.
For schemes already progressing through the planning process, existing flood risk assessments, drainage strategies and supporting technical documents may need to be reviewed to establish whether the updated mapping changes the conclusions previously reached.
Roles and Responsibilities
The publication of the new datasets does not alter consultation responsibilities within the planning process.
The Environment Agency’s statutory role continues to relate to flooding from rivers and the sea. Consideration of surface water flood risk remains the responsibility of Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs) and Local Planning Authorities (LPAs).
Related Flood Risk Mapping Updates
The May 2026 release follows earlier updates to Flood Zones and Flood Zones plus climate change mapping undertaken in November 2025, together with a further refresh in May 2026.
The Environment Agency and TCPA have also published updated guidance covering the use of FMfP datasets, National Flood Risk Standing Advice and planning applications where flood risk considerations apply.
Summary
The inclusion of climate change surface water extents and detailed flood depth information represents a significant enhancement to the Flood Map for Planning service. The new datasets provide planning-specific surface water information that was not previously available through FMfP and should now be used in place of equivalent CYLTFR datasets when assessing development proposals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How has the Flood Map for Planning changed?
A: From 28 May 2026, FMfP includes new surface water climate change extents and depth banding based on the upper-end (95th percentile) climate change allowance to the 2070s epoch.
Q: Can surface water data from Check Your Long Term Flood Risk still be used for planning assessments?
A: No. The Environment Agency advises that surface water layers from CYLTFR should no longer be used for development planning. FMfP should now be used instead.
Q: Have the Flood Zones been updated as part of this release?
A: No. Existing Flood Zones and present-day surface water extents remain unchanged.
Q: Could a site previously considered at low risk now be affected by surface water flooding?
A: Potentially. Some sites may now fall within a mapped surface water flood risk area, which could trigger additional assessment requirements.
Q: What if a flood risk assessment has already been completed?
A: Assessments prepared using previous datasets may need to be reviewed to determine whether the new mapping affects the conclusions reached.
Q: Where can the updated surface water datasets be obtained?
A: The datasets are available through the Flood Map for Planning service and the Defra Data Services Platform.
