Where flood risk applies in Northumberland
River and coastal flooding are the main flood risks across the county. The places most often affected include:
- Morpeth and the WansbeckIn September 2008 flooding affected 1,000 properties in Morpeth. The Environment Agency and the County Council completed the Morpeth flood alleviation scheme, including upstream storage at Mitford on the Wansbeck, in 2017.
- Hexham, Corbridge and the Tyne valleyThe council's Strategic Flood Risk Assessment records a long history of flooding from the Tyne at Hexham and Corbridge, as well as Haltwhistle on the South Tyne.
- Rothbury and the CoquetThe Coquet has flooded Rothbury, including in May 1996, and the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment records flood events along the river.
- Blyth and the coastThe Strategic Flood Risk Assessment records a history of tidal flooding in Blyth and Cambois. The December 2013 storm surge affected places including Amble, Alnmouth, Berwick, Blyth, Seahouses and Warkworth.
What Northumberland County Council will look for
Northumberland County 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 Northumberland 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. Northumberland is a large, largely rural county, so a whole-county search is rarely the catchment of a housing scheme: a narrower area matching the delivery area, town or village the scheme serves is usually more defensible.
- Assess the council's own sources of sitesthe Northumberland Local Plan (2022) and made neighbourhood plan allocations, the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (May 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.
Northumberland-specific pitfalls
- Area of search in a rural countyThe council's land availability assessment groups sites into four delivery areas (North, Central, South East and West). National guidance says the area of search for smaller housing schemes would not usually extend beyond the town, or a village and its neighbours.
- Relying on defencesSchemes such as Morpeth's reduce the risk to the town, but the Sequential Test uses flood zones as if defences were not there. Defences are relevant to the site-specific flood risk assessment.
- Neighbourhood plansMany Northumberland parishes have made neighbourhood plans with their own site allocations. These are part of the evidence for alternative sites.
- National ParkNorthumberland National Park has its own planning authority, so sites inside it are outside this service.
Fixed-fee Sequential Tests for Northumberland
We have built our Northumberland Sequential Test on published Environment Agency and Northumberland County Council data. Plot your site on our Northumberland 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: Northumberland Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (Level 1, 2010; Level 2, 2015).
Sequential Test guides for other council areas
Gateshead · 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 Northumberland County 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 Northumberland?
National policy says the area of search should reflect the catchment for the type of development and the need it serves. Northumberland is a large, largely rural county, so a whole-county search is rarely the catchment of a housing scheme: a narrower area matching the delivery area, town or village the scheme serves is usually more defensible. 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 Northumberland?
Our fixed fee for a Northumberland 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.