Surface Water Management Plans (SWMPs) are plans which outline the flood risk in a given area, and suggest what the preferred surface water management strategy should be. In this context, “surface water flooding” describes flooding from sewers, drains, groundwater, and runoff from land or small watercourses that occurs as a result of heavy rainfall.

Each SWMP is undertaken in consultation with key local partners who are responsible for surface water management and drainage in their area. These partners work together to understand the causes and effects of surface water flooding, and agree the most cost effective way of managing surface water flood risk in the long term. Any proposed mitigation options described in the documentation are purely submitted due to their technical effectivity, and do not form policy for any Suffolk Flood Risk Management Partnership organisations. In some cases, technically viable options might not be economically viable or vice versa.

Please note: Many of these studies are supported by detailed hydraulic models of the area. These can be made available to other RMAs or developers, but the files are too large to be transferred online. To enquire about supporting hydraulic models, please send your request to floods@suffolk.gov.uk

Suffolk’s SWMPs are listed below in alphabetical order:

Friston

Ipswich

Leiston

Newmarket

Sudbury & Great Cornard

Additional relevant studies

Some areas of Suffolk have been subject to detailed flood risk study which isn’t necessarily covered by a SWMP. These reports can still be useful for a variety of uses, and can be publicly available. These are:

  • Debenham
  • Lowestoft
  • Needham Market
  • Hadleigh
  • Stowmarket
  • Kesgrave
  • Cavendish
  • Boxford
We do not make these datasets available for download as they are often encompassed in many different files and can be difficult to interpret. Instead, we would encourage you to enquire via floods@suffolk.gov.uk so we can discuss your requirements and work out how best to help you.