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Update on Supplementary Planning Guidance

West Lothian Council is currently working on the West Lothian Local Development Plan which, when adopted, will replace the West Lothian Local Plan

This will be used as the basis for decisions on applications for planning permission in West Lothian - information on the plan can be viewed via the following link - Local Development Plan (LDP 1)

As part of this process the Flood Risk Management team will take the opportunity to update its Supplementary Planning Guidance on Flood Risk and Drainage. The current guidance is outdated and has not been revised since 2008. The guidance details the information that has to be provided to support the planning application process and ensure that applications are adequately considered in terms of flood risk and drainage especially surface water management.

The guidance will focus on the various issues relating to flood risk and surface water management to ensure that all future developments are not at risk of flooding and that they do not increase the risk of flooding elsewhere.

  • Flood Risk - a basic assessment should be carried out for all developments to check whether a site is at risk of flooding or not. If there is a risk of flooding on or adjacent to the site a Flood Risk Assessment will be required. All assessments should consider all types of flooding.
  • Drainage - a new Water Assessment and Drainage Assessment Guide has been published recently which aligns with the new CIRIA SUDS Manual C753. A new method of selecting SUDS features has been introduced and approved by SEPA - the Simple Index Approach (SIA) - and a tool is available which supports this method.

For all future applications the Council will require a Drainage Assessment to be submitted which will be in accordance with the new guide. The use of surface water management features (SUDS) within the drainage will be in accordance with the guide, the SIA and the SUDS Manual C753.

The new guidance will look to introduce a Self-Certification Process for the production of Flood Risk Assessments and Drainage Designs including SUDS. It will also seek to introduce an improved process for the completion and adoption of the drainage system to ensure that all elements are adopted and vested in the relevant roads and drainage authorities.