Where flood risk applies in Gateshead
The council's Level 1 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (March 2019) describes flood risk along the borough's main rivers:
- The Team Valley, Teams and DunstonThe lower River Team runs through an urban, heavily engineered and partly culverted channel. Flood Zone 2 covers large areas of the Team Valley Trading Estate, and Flood Zone 3 reaches parts of Teams and Dunston before the Team joins the Tyne.
- The Derwent valleyFlood zones along the Derwent are mostly narrow and rural, but the SFRA identifies Blackhall Mill and Lintzford as the main areas at risk, and the flood zones downstream of Axwell Park cover homes and businesses.
- The TyneFlooding on the Tyne estuary is predominantly tidal. Its flood zones are largely within the channel because of its capacity, and past riverside development has been raised above flood levels.
- BlaydonThe SFRA lists Blaydon with the Team Valley, Dunston and Teams among the parts of the borough in flood-prone areas.
What Gateshead Council will look for
Gateshead 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 Gateshead 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. Gateshead combines an urban core with rural villages, so a narrower area matching the settlement served is often more defensible than the whole borough for smaller schemes.
- Assess the council's own sources of sitesthe Making Spaces for Growing Places and Core Strategy and Urban Core Plan allocations, Gateshead's Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (2025) 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.
Gateshead-specific pitfalls
- Culverts and surface waterThe Sequential Test looks at all sources of flooding. The SFRA lists culverts known to affect flood risk, including the Blaydon Burn culvert and the Black Burn culvert in the Team Valley, where blockages can cause flooding the flood zones do not show.
- Relying on defencesRaised defences such as those at Blackhall Mill and Winlaton Mill are relevant to the site-specific flood risk assessment, not the Sequential Test, which uses flood zones as if the defences were not there.
- Urban core and villagesGateshead plans separately for its urban core and its villages. The area of search should match the catchment the scheme serves, which for a village scheme is rarely the whole borough.
- Housing-led evidence for non-housing usesGateshead's land availability evidence is largely housing-focused. For employment, retail or community uses, you may need to add alternative sites from other sources.
Fixed-fee Sequential Tests for Gateshead
We have built our Gateshead Sequential Test on published Environment Agency and Gateshead Council data. Plot your site on our Gateshead 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.
Source: Gateshead Council Level 1 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (JBA Consulting, March 2019).
Sequential Test guides for other council areas
Northumberland · Bristol · Manchester · Birmingham · Chelmsford · Tameside · Runnymede · East Riding of Yorkshire · Wigan · York · Spelthorne · Oxford · Plymouth · Lichfield · Dover · Hull · Medway · Lewes District
Frequently asked questions
Does Gateshead 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 Gateshead?
National policy says the area of search should reflect the catchment for the type of development and the need it serves. Gateshead combines an urban core with rural villages, so a narrower area matching the settlement served is often more defensible than the whole borough 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 Gateshead?
Our fixed fee for a Gateshead 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.