To buy a house on a flood plain?

[Arkbuilder]

We have fallen in love with a house, offer accepted etc. Turns out it's the highest level of flood risk (3). There is a small brook that runs along one boundary. The owners had said it has flooded but never got to the house. We intended to build something bigger on the land. Is this a show stopper? Am I being a fool to proceed?

@onalongsabbatical No, dear. I'm not in denial of climate change. I'm telling you want the report said that you know was written by the experts everyone has said that I should listen to. Unless of course those experts disagree with you it would seem. I shall let the folk that did the flood assessment report know that they are climate change deniers.

People who write reports of necessity err on the extreme sides of caution, because part of their brief is to avoid litigation on all sides.
Your job is to interpret what they give you. I've just run this past my partner (climate scientist) and his response was to put his head in his hands and say - just don't buy on a flood plain, just don't.

I'm telling you want the report said that you know was written by the experts everyone has said that I should listen to.

Why are you asking here, then?

Just think carefully. If there's a huge storm, which is more and more likely with climate change, are you confident that the house won't flood?

So the house is a flood risk in the first post. Now there is a report to state its not a flood risk at all.

Buy the house. You want to. You've been warned about what will happen. Good luck.

I wouldn't. Have lived in a house that flooded and it dominates your life. And you can't sleep when it rains heavily.

Presumably it's cheap? I'd go for a safe smaller house every time.

Flooding issues are worsening.

Don't rely on what they are saying, you can't really.

Have the council made any anti flooding measures?

I would avoid a house on a flood plane, I've seen so many near us spending every miserable year with sand bags and waders.
It's true that many of their houses didn't flood inside, but the inconvenience of not being able to get to your car without waders. Not being able to drive back to the house. Ruined gardens and always the risk it might come in if floods rise.

The only time I'd consider it is if the council has put in significant anti flooding measures.

The report might say that but you are still classed as being in flood zone 3. All the sequential test stuff and planning issues others have set out in great detail for you still count.

You need expert planning advice on this.

If planning permission got turned down would you be ok with that?

I’ve been slightly swayed by a house by a river - isolated, perfect setting, bit of land, planning permission already in place to replace current dilapidated structure (with wiggle room to have in effect a flood floor - storage etc which ‘could flood if need be’, surrounded by protected national trust land, some woods etc.
In the end despite all of the good advice above to ameliorate things I’ve decided the worry, which would be constant, wouldn’t be worth it.
Even I write this I’m tempted to check whether it’s been sold.

In what context was the FRA you’ve seen prepared? Is it in support of the sale or was it prepared for any other purpose? 50 years is ok but more common practice is to build in protection up to ‘2100 predicted levels with climate change’. Irrespective of situation re the current dwelling the comments above re: ability to get PP to extend remain.

@ElsieBobo It was done as part of the planning application for the barn conversion on the property.

thats good, shows the local planning authority have been willing in past to grant PP on the site - how long ago was it converted? Policy has got tighter over the years as climate change has risen in prominence.

@ElsieBobo It was done 3 years ago.

Conversions are very different to new build though as the building is already there. New buildings can have an impact on drainage elsewhere through eg increased run off.

And as previously stated, new build in the countryside has its own planning restrictions, leaving aside any flood concerns.