Agenda

08.30 Registration and refreshments

09.00 Chair's opening remarks
Alan Cherry, Director, Countryside Properties

09.15 Examining Government strategies for flood developments to understand their agenda and implement their guidance

• Managing the tension between pressure for housing and flood risk
• Assessing the government's approach to informing planners and developers to ensure safe development on flood risk sites
• Outlining new government measures to limit flood damage and understanding the impact on the construction industry
• Understanding the building regulations accounting for flooding and mitigating residual risks

Stephanie Hurst, Director of Resources and Environment Planning Policy Division, Communities and Local Government

09.45 Clarifying the Environment Agency's role in the planning process and the requirements laid down in Planning Policy Statement 25: Development and Flood Risk

• Outlining the Environment Agency's role in planning, control and development of floodplains
• Understanding  the key principles and proposals of PPS25 to ensure correct implementation in plans
• Evaluating the sequential and exception test approach to reduce flood risk
• Examining the Environment Agency's expectations and how to manage uncertainty through design

Stephen Cook, National Policy Advisor, Flood Risk, Environment Agency

10.15 Examining the new PPS25 Practice Guide and applying it effectively in your plan and design work

• Understanding the Practice Guide as a companion to the policy to explain the PPS 25 objectives more efficiently and streamline implementation
• Determining the key components of the Practice Guide and navigating it effectively
• Examining the selection of case studies and the value of the different strategies they explore

Peter Bide, Resources and Environment Policy Division, Department of Communities and Local Government

10.35 Morning Refreshments and networking

11.05 Case study: Examining lessons learnt and implementing best practices

• Outlining the key challenges of developing on flood-risk areas - PPS 25, Flood Risk Assessments
• Evaluating the planning process and understanding how to optimise the working relationship with the different bodies involved - Environment Agency, Local Authorities
• Identifying strategies to promote floodplain living to the public

Duncan McFadyean, Associate Director Geotechnics, Halcrow
Shirel Siranga, Resource Director, UK Water, North, Halcrow

11.25 Panel discussion - Successful collaboration to overcome the challenges in achieving design and planning consensus

• Determining where key responsibilities lie to ensure clarity, generate effective dialogue and accelerate a united approach
• Identifying the main barriers to planning approval
• Assessing the extent to which PPS 25 compliance is effective in mitigating flood risk without regulations for building for flooding
• Evaluating the need for building regulations or usable performance specifications accounting for flooding

Tim Lewis, Development & Building Control Manager, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Council
Ron Whitehead, Chairman, Flood Protection Association
Steve Cook, National Policy Advisor, Flood Risk, Environment Agency
Peter Bide, Department of Communities and Local Government
Duncan McFadyean, Associate Director Geotechnics, Halcrow

11.55 The Thames Gateway: Exploring long term design and building strategies for living with water

• Understanding climate change projections including the impact of rising sea levels and rainfall patterns to incorporate risk in your plans and designs
• Analysing to what extent architectural and design-led solutions mitigate against long-term flood risk
• Examining new tools, practices and approaches required to continue development and expansion in areas threatened by floods
• Determining how landscape management can minimise disruption from flooding

Eric Sorensen, Chief Executive, Thames Gateway London Partnership

12.45 Lunch and networking

13.45 Exploring the benefits of the LIFE Project (Long-term Initiatives for Flood-Risk Environments)

• Examining the objectives of Defra's Making Space for Water programme and the stakeholders involved and understanding the impact it will have on future policy developments and delivery for flood risk management
• Outlining the LIFE project's aims and ambitions in relation to sustainable design with ecological flood mitigation
• Outlining the different flood risk environments and key research methods and applying an integrated design approach
• Analysing the research findings to date, the recommended design principles and future research objectives

Robert Barker, Partner, Baca Architects

14.15 Case Study: What best practice can be learnt from the Dutch experience?

• Examining the renegotiation of the traditional relationship between architecture and water -are floating houses a viable solution to combating the water threat?
• Addressing the employment and compatibility of Dutch architects innovations to manage flood risk
• Outlining flood resilient building techniques and products to integrate the building with public space
• Understanding the social context and how to promote the concept to the public

Koen Olthuis, Partner and Rolf Peters, Partner, Waterstudio.NL
Rolf Peters, Partner, Waterstudio.NL

14.45 Overcoming the challenge of insuring new developments in flood-risk areas: is PPS25 sufficient?

• Exploring the ABI's response to the government's Planning White Paper and understanding the ABI's attitude to government policies and spending
• Outlining the insurance industry's criteria for establishing flood risk levels and premiums
• Understanding the ABI's recommended measures and designs and implementing their advice
• Assessing whether PPS 25 compliance satisfies the insurance industry's requirements

Dr Swenja Surminski, Policy Advisor - Climate Change, Association of British Insurers

15.15 Afternoon refreshments and networking

15.45 Outlining Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) requirements and designing to ensure compliance

• Outlining the criteria for FRAs as set out in PPS25 and the Practice Guide Companion considering different types of flooding, development size and use
• Examining the reliability of flood mapping, modelling and simulation technology in accurately assessing and communicating flood risks 
• Discussing design measures to reduce flood risk to acceptable levels - ground raising, land-use zoning, flood defences, flood resistance and resilience measures - and mitigation options
• Consideration of residual risks, design exceedence events, flood warning and evacuation plans
• Understanding the relationship between Local Planning Authorities, the Environment Agency  other flood risk consultees and their individual responsibilities in approving FRAs

Will McBain, Associate, ARUP Water

16.30 Examining the new RIBA Design Guide: Sustainable Design within the Flood Plain

• Outlining the main issues, strategies and design principles in the guide
• Understanding the principal considerations when planning for residential development on floodplains
• Exploring innovations in designs and materials to reduce and control flooding
• Demonstrating the use of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDS), water run-off, rainwater recycling and green roofs to enable urban development

Kiran Curtis, Managing Director, KCA Architects and Member of RIBA Building Futures Advisory Group

17.00 Chair's Closing remarks and end of conference