Summary
Flood zones and long term flood risk maps are not the same thing. Flood zones are mainly for planning and development control, while long term risk maps are better for understanding likely flood exposure at or near an address.
Definition
Flood zones for planning show the probability of river and sea flooding used in planning decisions. In England, the Flood Map for Planning helps identify whether a planning application may need a flood risk assessment and shows Flood Zones 1, 2 and 3 plus other planning layers. Long term flood risk services show modelled likelihood from sources such as rivers and sea, surface water, reservoirs and, where available, groundwater. A buyer should use flood zones to understand planning, lender and insurer questions, and use long term flood risk to understand practical exposure at the address. For Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, use the relevant devolved flood mapping services.