The Flood Risk Regulations 2009 make the Floods Directive (Directive 2007/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the European Council on the assessment and management of flood risks) part of UK law. It requires the following to be repeated on a 6-yearly cycle:

  • PFRA map and report, from which Flood Risk Areas should be identified
  • Flood hazard and risk maps
  • Flood Risk Management Plans (FRMPs)

We are now in the second cycle of implementation and those products produced in the first cycle need to be reviewed. This review begins with the PFRAs.

In cycle 1, the then Environment Agency Wales (now Natural Resources Wales) decided to use an exemption and not to produce PFRAs for main rivers, the sea and reservoirs.

Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs) were required to produce PFRAs in respect of surface water, ordinary watercourse and groundwater flood risks. 

River Basin District preliminary flood risk reports

The three River Basin Districts cover the Dee, the Severn and Western Wales.

Dee PFRA
Severn PFRA
Western Wales PFRA

The Severn and the Dee are shared River Basin Districts with the Environment Agency. 

We have worked with:

  • Welsh Government
  • Welsh Local Government Association
  • Lead Local Flood Authorities 

The PFRAs identify those areas within Wales that are most at risk of flooding from:

  • main rivers
  • reservoirs
  • the sea
  • surface water
  • ordinary watercourses
  • groundwater 

This begins with an assessment (from 2011 onwards) of significant past flooding that affected Wales, then considers the potential adverse consequences of future flooding.

We use this information to identify those areas within Wales that have the most significant flood risks.

These are known as Flood Risk Areas. The nine Flood Risk Areas and associated communities are:

Flood Risk Area Community included

North Wales Coast

Rhyl

Kinmel Bay

Prestatyn

Towyn

Abergele

Flintshire

Queensferry-Sandycroft-Manor Lane

Lache

Garden City and Deeside Ind Est

Connah's Quay and Shotton

Wrexham

Cefn-mawr - Acrefair

Gwynedd

Porthmadog

Fairbourne

Pwllheli

Monmouthshire

Abergavenny

Newport

Maindee

Liswerry

Duffryn

Crindau

 

Cardiff

Grangetown

Riverside

Canton

St Mellons

Roath

South Wales Valleys

Rhondda

Treorchy

Merthyr Tydfil

Troedyrhiw

Treherbert

Swansea Bay

Port Talbot

Briton Ferry

Neath

Swansea

Llanelli


We will now begin working to produce flood hazard and flood risk maps for the Flood Risk Areas we have identified, by 22nd December 2019. The final step to complete the second cycle of the Floods Directive will be to produce Flood Risk Management Plans by 22nd December 2021.

As this is the first time consolidated Preliminary Flood Risk Assessments have been completed in Wales, we will focus on working collaboratively across Risk Management Authorities to better manage flood risk across Wales.

In late 2017 the 22 LLFAs in Wales reviewed their PFRAs and produced an addendum to their cycle 1 reports. 

Published addendums:

Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council

Bridgend County Borough Council

Caerphilly County Borough Council

Carmarthenshire County Council

Cardiff Council

Ceredigion County Council

Conwy County Borough Council – link is currently unavailable

Denbighshire County Council

Flintshire County Council

Gwynedd Council

Isle of Anglesey County Council

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council

Monmouthshire County Council

Neath-Port Talbot County Borough Council

Newport City Council

Pembrokeshire County Council

Powys County Council

Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council

City & County of Swansea Council

Torfaen County Borough Council

Vale of Glamorgan Council

Wrexham County Borough Council – link is currently unavailable

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