Ash Green Primary Academy in Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent, has resubmitted plans to the City Council for the installation of temporary modular classrooms, placing a robust and detailed Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) at the core of the revised application. The move follows an initial refusal earlier this year, underscoring the necessity of stringent flood risk compliance, even for temporary structures, within high-risk UK zones.
The primary school requires a temporary two-storey building, housing eight classrooms and associated toilet facilities, to be in place for a period of 12 months while critical structural repairs are carried out to the first floor of the existing school premises. The challenge facing the project managers stems from the site’s designation within Flood Zone 3, indicating a high probability of flooding from rivers and the sea, alongside a recognised risk of surface water inundation.
The initial planning application was rejected due to the absence of a site-specific Flood Risk Assessment required for development in such a vulnerable area. This refusal highlights the rigorous application of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) by the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) in Stoke-on-Trent, which mandates that the flood risk of any new development—irrespective of its temporary nature—must be fully assessed and mitigated.
In response, the new submission includes a comprehensive 35-page Flood Risk Report. This report specifically addresses the site’s high risk of surface water flooding and details a targeted flood resilience strategy. The mitigation measures focus on engineering design, specifically ensuring that the threshold levels of the temporary classrooms will be significantly elevated above the existing playground hard standing. This strategic raising of the structure is designed to prevent surface water flow from entering the modular units during intense storm events, ensuring the safety of pupils and staff, and protecting essential educational facilities.
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A spokesperson for the project management team stated: “Our goal is to ensure continuous, safe education for our pupils while essential maintenance is undertaken. The LLFA’s initial judgement rightly demanded a higher standard of proof regarding flood safety. The resubmitted FRA demonstrates not only a full understanding of the risk posed by the Flood Zone 3 classification but also a pragmatic, engineered solution focused on elevating the occupied space. This is a clear example of how bespoke flood mitigation must be integrated into all development planning, permanent or temporary, across the UK’s expanding high-risk areas.”
The case sets a significant precedent for the modular construction sector operating in flood-prone urban environments, reinforcing the requirement for a granular, site-specific approach to flood risk management that extends beyond the immediate planning period to encompass climate change resilience.
[Main image credit: Irina WS / shutterstock.com]