Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment

As a Lead Local Flood Authority, the Council has a statutory duty to participate in a 6-year cycle of identifying flood risk areas, planning to and implementing mitigation in areas identified to be at significant risk of flooding. 

Identifying risk: Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment

In 2011 the Council published a Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment. This was a high-level overview of flood risk across Cheshire East. It identified no areas that met the defined criteria for a 'Flood Risk Area' in Cheshire East and as such no further actions required as part of the Flood Risk Management process. 

In 2017 the Council published an addendum to the Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment, known as PRFA2. This review identified Macclesfield as a 'Flood Risk Area'. 

Mitigating risk: Flood Risk Management Plan

A Flood Risk Management Plan is a national, strategic plan that has measures or actions for identified Flood Risk Areas. 

Flood Risk Management Plans are published by the Environment Agency who work closely with Lead Local Flood Authorities and with other Risk Management Authorities to produce them. 

Macclesfield Flood Risk Area is included in the North West River Basin District Flood Risk Management Plan, published in December 2022.

The UK government has revoked the Flood Risk Regulations (FRRs) as part of the Brexit process. This means that, from 1 January 2024, the Environment Agency and Lead Local Flood Authorities are no longer required to follow the specific review, assessment, and planning cycles outlined in the FRAs. As a result, there will be no further updates to the document.