When it comes to zoning land for building, 'the relationship between specialist advisers and councils is always a bit tricky' says one academic. Long after the existing homes were built, however, the area was identified in a national flood mapping project, the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) programme, as being at significant risk from the nearby Terryland river. Under the national planning guidelines and the Planning Act that makes them binding, “inappropriate development” in areas at risk of flooding must be avoided. The regulator intervened to try to stop 288 sites at flood risk being zoned for housing or other vulnerable developments in the past six years. “Authorities should base flood risk assessments on robust, site-specific evidence, such as historical actual flood data, where available and reliable, rather than relying heavily on predictive flood risk models,” the company wrote.

Source: The Irish Times February 21, 2026 15:01 UTC