Section 1 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, gives us the power to designate structures or features with a significant impact on flood risk from:

  • ordinary watercourses
  • surface water flooding and
  • groundwater

What designation means

Designation is when we highlight a specific structure or feature as having a significant flood protection function.

Once we've issued a designation, that structure or feature cannot be altered, removed, or replaced without the consent of the designating authority.

We also put a record of the designation onto the Local Land Charges. This is so that subsequent land owners are aware of the designation.

Designating structures and features

The purpose of the designation is to highlight the role some features and structures have in reducing flood risk. Usually, designating a structure indicates that there is a risk to property flooding if the structures are removed or damaged.

What you can do

If a structure or feature that you own is considered for designation, we will contact you to take you through the designation process.