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 (PFRA)

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 (FRMP)

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 current national Flood Risk Management Plan, known as FRMP2. 

Next steps

A national public consultation was undertaken from October 2021 to January 2022 by the Environment Agency as part of the second cycle of Flood Risk Management Plans. 

The approved Flood Risk Management Plan, known as FRMP2, which will include the Macclesfield Flood Risk Area will be published by the Environment Agency in Autumn 2022.

The Council is already starting work with a multi-agency team including the Environment Agency and United Utilities to meet the objectives within the Macclesfield plan to mitigate local flood risk.

The third cycle of the Cheshire East Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment or PFRA3 will be undertaken in 2023.

Page last reviewed: 31 March 2022