With an emphasis now being placed on being able to manage flood risk through the planning process, it is important to be able to recognise constraints on sites in terms of both drainage and external levels to reduce the risk of planning applications being refused, and to identify any potential factors of the development to allow a smoother process at the detailed design stage. It is important to seek the early advice from suitably qualified civil engineers so that they can work with the initial project planners to ensure the development heads in the right direction from the outset.