Where flood risk applies in Dover District
The council's Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (March 2019) sets out a diverse flood risk:
- Sandwich and the tidal StourThe whole reach of the Stour in the district is tidal, so its levels are governed by sea levels and surges. Sandwich is protected by the Sandwich Town Tidal Defence Scheme, and the industrial area of Great Stonar, north of Sandwich, lies entirely within the Stour's tidal reaches. In 1978 the defences in Sandwich were overtopped or breached.
- Deal and the coastThe coastal area around Deal is low-lying and protected by sea defences, including the Deal Coastal Flood Defence Scheme completed in 2013 and a shingle beach. In storms, waves overtopping the defences can push seawater landwards, affecting development directly behind them.
- Dover and the DourThe Dour flows through a heavily modified reach in Dover town centre, with culverts, weirs and leats. At high tide its outfall can be tide-locked, and an extreme storm at the same time could flood riverside properties where banks are low.
- Surface waterSteep slopes and hard surfaces make surface water flooding a known problem in the Dour valley, and the varied topography brings surface water risk to rural and urban communities across the district.
What Dover District Council will look for
Dover District Council applies the national tests in NPPF Chapter 18 and the Planning Practice Guidance, supported by its Strategic Flood Risk Assessment. A Sequential Test submitted with a Dover application should normally:
- Confirm the flood zone and vulnerabilityUse the current Environment Agency Flood Map for Planning and the NPPF Annex F vulnerability class for the proposed use.
- Justify the area of searchNational policy says the area of search should reflect the catchment for the type of development and the need it serves. Dover District includes the towns of Dover, Deal and Sandwich and many villages, so a narrower area matching the settlement served is often more defensible than the whole district for smaller schemes.
- Assess the council's own sources of sitesthe Dover District Local Plan allocations (adopted October 2024), the council's Housing Land Supply 2025-2030 phasing and the Brownfield Land Register are the obvious places to start, and omitting them is a common reason for challenge.
- Evidence every discounted siteWhere an alternative is ruled out as unsuitable, too small or not available in a similar timeframe, give the reason and the evidence. Ownership alone is not enough.
- Screen for the Exception TestState whether the Exception Test applies under Annex F Table 3, and if it does, provide it, drawing on the site-specific flood risk assessment.
Dover-specific pitfalls
- Reliance on defencesThe SFRA notes that Deal, Sandwich and Dover are highly reliant on flood defences. They matter for the site-specific flood risk assessment, but the Sequential Test uses flood zones as if the defences were not there.
- Allocations and phasingOur reports take each allocation's phasing from the council's Housing Land Supply 2025-2030. A few allocations are not in that phasing, usually because they are complete or have consent below the major-site threshold, and are reported for you to check.
- Sites outside the allocationsDover has no up-to-date land availability assessment published as data, so sites outside the Local Plan allocations are included only where they are on the brownfield register.
- Housing-led evidence for non-housing usesThe phasing covers homes. Employment and mixed use allocations are included, but for other uses you may need to add alternative sites from other sources.
Fixed-fee Sequential Tests for Dover
We have built our Dover Sequential Test on published Environment Agency and Dover District Council data. Plot your site on our Dover Sequential Test page and we'll deliver a submission-ready report within 24 hours of payment for £300. Exception Tests are £450 within 48 hours.
New to the subject? Start with our general guide: what is a flood risk Sequential Test? We also cover other council areas at the same fixed fee. For wider planning help, see planning consultants in Dover.
Source: Dover District Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (March 2019).
Sequential Test guides for other council areas
Runnymede · Spelthorne · Oxford · Medway · Lewes District · Bristol · Manchester · Birmingham · Chelmsford · Gateshead · Tameside · East Riding of Yorkshire · Wigan · York · Plymouth · Lichfield · Hull · Northumberland
Frequently asked questions
Does Dover District Council require a Sequential Test?
Yes, for most development in Flood Zones 2 and 3, in line with national policy. Some minor development and most changes of use are exempt, and sites allocated in the local plan may not need the test repeated.
What area of search should I use in Dover?
National policy says the area of search should reflect the catchment for the type of development and the need it serves. Dover District includes the towns of Dover, Deal and Sandwich and many villages, so a narrower area matching the settlement served is often more defensible than the whole district for smaller schemes. The reason must be explained in the report.
Do flood defences mean I don't need a Sequential Test?
No. Flood zones for the Sequential Test are assessed without defences. Defences are taken into account in the site-specific flood risk assessment and the Exception Test, not the Sequential Test.
How much does a Sequential Test cost in Dover?
Our fixed fee for a Dover flood risk Sequential Test or alternatives assessment is £300, delivered within 24 hours of payment. An Exception Test is £450, delivered within 48 hours.
This guide is general information for applications in England and is not advice on your specific project. Requirements differ in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and every council publishes its own local validation list, so always check the detail with your local planning authority.