Sheffield City Council

Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA)

Level 2 – Nursery St & The Wicker
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Level 2 SFRA Objectives

1. The Sheffield Level 1 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) was completed in
July 2008. The Level 1 SFRA is used to inform the application of the Sequential Test
by the Council. The Sequential Test considers the risk posed by flooding across the
district, and balances this against other (non-flooding related) planning constraints,
seeking to steer development towards areas of lowest flood risk.

2. Potential development sites that are situated wholly or partially within Flood Zones 2
or 3 must be considered further to ensure that the requirements of the Exception
Test can be passed. To pass the Exception Test, the following criteria must be
satisfied:

a. It must be demonstrated that the development provides wider sustainability

benefits to the community that outweigh flood risk;
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Through the application of the Sequential Test, the Council must consider other
(non flooding related) planning constraints, balancing these against the risk of
flooding posed to the site. It is important to recognise that this Level 2 SFRA
does not set out the Sequential Test for Sheffield. Rather it analyses
potential development areas in light of the findings of the Level 1 SFRA,
providing a more detailed appraisal of the potential flood risks to inform the
Sequential Test.

b. the development should be on developable, previously developed land or if it

is not on previously developed land, that there are no reasonable alternative
sites on previously development land; and

c. a FRA must demonstrate that the development will be safe, without

increasing flood risk elsewhere, and where possible, will reduce flood risk
overall.”

The primary objective of this Level 2 SFRA is to ensure that the risk of
flooding can be realistically mitigated through the design process,
addressing this final criteria of the Exception Test. The hazard posed to property
and life within each potential development site has been reviewed in light of the
Level 1 SFRA findings and recommendations.

3. This Level 2 document builds upon the findings of the Level 1 SFRA, and will also
form part of the evidence base for the Sheffield Level Development Framework
(LDF). This assessment considers the area of Nursery Street and The Wicker,
situated on the left (north) bank of the River Don.

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Adopted Methodology
1. As outlined in Section Error! Reference source not found. of the Level 1 SFRA, the
speed and depth with which rivers flood into developed areas of the district is an
important consideration. Deep, fast flowing water may potentially pose risk to life. This
must be considered when planning future development.
2. A two dimensional TuFLOW model has been prepared to assess the extent, depth and
speed of floodwaters once overtopping occurs from the River Don. The design flow
regime, and the hydraulic characteristics of the main river channel, has been adopted
from the existing Environment Agency ISIS model of the River Don.
3. To assess the risk that the floodwaters pose to life, an assessment of flood hazard has
been carried out using the adopted 2D model. The ‘hazard’ posed by flooding is
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determined as a product of the depth and the speed of the flow , and assessed in
accordance with Defra guidance ‘Flood Risk to People (FD2321). The hazard
categories adopted for SFRA purposes are outlined below:

4. The findings of the detailed Level 2 assessment are summarised below.

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Level 2 SFRA Findings

5. The June 2007 event has been estimated to have a 0.67% (1 in 150) to 0.5% (1 in
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200) annual chance of occurrence . Detailed modelling of the 0.5% (1 in 200) design
event resulted in the overtopping of the left (north) bank of the River Don at Nursery
Street. Once overbank, floodwaters then follow the natural topography, flowing in a
easterly direction along The Wicker towards Saville Street and Attercliffe Road. This
correlates very well with the anecdotal reports of flooding within this area during June
2007.
6. The hazard posed by flooding in the 0.5% (1 in 200) flood event is presented in Figure
F1(a), delineated in accordance with FD2321. The depth of flooding is presented in
Figure F1(b).
7. The depth of flooding throughout a large proportion of the flood affected area is
typically in the order of 400mm. The local roads however form primary flow routes for
floodwaters, and depths of in excess of 1m are evident in the 0.5% (200 year design
event). Low lying sites situated on The Wicker and Saville Street are also affected by
deep flooding.
8. The analysis of flood hazard indicates that the risk to life within this area is generally
low, and this is due purely to the very low speed of the floodwater. The exception is
the once again the roads that form overland flow paths for the water once it has broken
out of the River Don. In the roadways, water is both deep and fast flowing. It is noted
that the assessment of hazard has assumed that floating debris is not a major
contributor to risk within this area, due to the land use within the immediate
surrounding area. It is important to emphasise however that flood depths in excess of
knee height can pose a potential risk to many people, with turbid water resulting in a
very high risk of tripping, and exposed manholes not visible to pedestrians.

Recommended Planning Response

9. It is essential that any future development within this area considers the potential risk
to life as a result of flooding, and mitigates this through the design process. More
vulnerable land uses should not be permitted at ground level, and measures to ensure
that buildings are resilient to flooding should be incorporated. This reach of the River
Don is situated within an Environment Agency flood warning area, and tenants of the
site should be encouraged to sign up to this service.
10. The provision of safe evacuation routes from development within this area is
imperative, and tenants must not be directed towards The Wicker, Saville Street or
Attercliffe Road. Sites to the south of Saville Street and The Wicker are riverfront, and
safe access may be difficult to achieve. For this reason, high level walkways to
properties (and higher ground) on the opposite side of the road may be required.
11. It is recommended that consideration is given to avoiding development in the low lying
sites to the south and north of The Wicker and Saville Street respectively. Flood
depths in excess of 1m will pose a potential danger and it will be difficult to develop
effective design measures to mitigate against such a depth of water. Land raising may
be assist, however it will be necessary to ensure that compensatory floodplain storage
is made available within close proximity of the site to reduce the potential impacts that
this will have in adjoining areas.

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