What the New Flood Risk Planning Rules Mean for Home Buyers

If you are thinking about buying a new-build home, you might have heard that planning rules around flood risk have recently changed. These changes, known as the September 2025 update to the Planning Practice Guidance (PPG), might sound technical,  but they could make a real difference to how and where homes are built in the future.

In simple terms, the update aims to make the planning system fairer, clearer and more practical when it comes to flood risk. Here’s what you need to know.

What Is Flood Risk Planning, and Why Does It Matter?

Before a housing development can go ahead, the local council must consider whether the land could flood either from rivers, the sea, or heavy rain.

To do this, developers and councils use a tool called the Sequential Test. Its purpose is simple, to make sure new homes are built in the safest possible places, those at the lowest risk of flooding.

If there are safer sites available for the same type of development, those should be chosen first.

Alongside this, developers often prepare a Flood Risk Assessment (FRA)  a detailed technical report showing how flood risk will be managed for a particular site.

What Has Changed in 2025?

The government has updated its flood risk guidance to make the rules more realistic and easier to follow. Here are the key points explained in plain English.

Some Sites No Longer Need the Sequential Test

Under the old rules, every site in a flood risk area had to pass the Sequential Test, even if detailed evidence proved the site could be made safe.

Now, that’s changing. If a site-specific Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) clearly shows that the design and layout of the homes will keep people safe for the lifetime of the development, and will not make flooding worse elsewhere, then the council does not have to apply the Sequential Test.

What this means for you:

Developers with good technical evidence can move faster through the planning system, saving time and cost. 

For buyers, it means homes in flood-risk areas will still have strong safety measures in place, but without unnecessary delays.

Local Authorities Can Focus on Realistic Areas

The government has also clarified what area councils should look at when checking if there are safer sites nearby.

For smaller housing developments, the search area should usually be limited to the same town, city, or village, or the next nearest settlement. Councils can no longer insist that developers look miles away for theoretical “safer” sites.

What this means for you:

It will be easier for smaller, local housing schemes to go ahead, helping meet local demand for new homes, especially in towns and villages where most land lies close to rivers or the coast.

Clearer Rules on What Counts as a “Reasonably Available” Site

Previously, it was unclear what made an alternative site “reasonably available.” Now, the guidance says a site is only reasonable if:

• It’s suitable for the same kind of development,
• It could meet the same need, and
• It has a realistic chance of being built around the same time.

The site does not have to be owned by the same developer, and sometimes several smaller sites together could be considered alternatives.

What this means for you:

Planning decisions should now be more consistent and fair, meaning fewer delays caused by confusing rules or unrealistic comparisons between sites.

Housing Shortages Cannot Override Flood Safety

In some areas, councils do not have enough land identified for housing, known as a “five-year housing land supply.”

Previously, this shortage sometimes influenced flood-risk decisions. The update makes it clear that housing need cannot be used as a reason to ignore flood safety tests.

What this means for you:

Safety comes first. You can be more confident that new homes are being built responsibly and not rushed through planning just to meet housing targets.

What Buyers Should Look Out For

If you are buying a new-build home, especially in an area near a river, the coast, or where surface water flooding has been an issue, here are some simple checks you can make:

1. Ask to see the Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) — it’s part of the planning documents. This will show how the site will stay safe from flooding.
2. Look up the flood zone on the Environment Agency’s online flood map.
3. Ask what flood protection measures are included — such as raised floor levels, drainage systems, or water-resistant materials.
4. Check that the home is insurable — your conveyancer or mortgage lender can help with this.
5. If in doubt, get professional advice — surveyors and conveyancers familiar with flood-risk planning can explain what it means for your purchase.

The Bottom Line

The 2025 changes make the flood-risk planning process more practical and more transparent.

• Good quality evidence can now replace red tape.
• Councils can focus on real-world alternatives rather than theoretical ones.
• Safety remains at the heart of every decision.

For home buyers, that means new homes are still carefully checked for flood risk,  but with clearer rules, faster decisions, and less uncertainty.

If you are buying a home in an area that could be affected by flooding, take the time to understand how your property has been designed to manage that risk. It could give you both peace of mind and long-term protection.