Unda in the Media

Unda's flood risk experts are named, chartered specialists who put their name to what they advise — in client reports, in the national press and, when it matters most, in front of a planning inspector or a court. The firm was founded in 2014 by Edward Bouët and Jackie Stone and has delivered more than 5,000 flood risk assessments across England and Wales since, from single-plot homebuyer surveys to detailed flood modelling for complex development sites.

This page brings together the team's contributions to the public conversation on flooding: press and broadcast coverage, industry talks, professional-body work and expert witness appointments — along with the people behind them. If you are a journalist on a deadline, the media enquiries details are further down the page.

Flood risk is a field where who is giving the advice matters. Unda's work is led by named, qualified specialists who stand behind what they advise — not an anonymous byline.

Our flood risk experts

Every report Unda issues is signed off by a Senior Flood Risk Consultant, and the four consultants below lead that work. Named accountability is deliberate: when advice determines whether a development gets planning permission or whether a family buys a house, the person giving it should be identifiable, qualified and answerable for it. The full team — including the graduate consultants who support them — is introduced on the About Us page, and you can read more about how the consultancy works on the flood risk consultancy services page.

Edward Bouët BSc (Hons) — Director and Flood Risk Consultant

Edward co-founded Unda and has over 20 years in flood risk and drainage. He leads the development of Unda's services, bringing flood risk assessment for planning and drainage strategy together on technically challenging sites, and is regularly asked to comment on flood risk and climate resilience in the national press.

Jackie Stone BSc (Hons) MSci (DIC) — Director and Flood Risk Consultant

Jackie co-founded Unda and brings over 30 years' leadership in environmental consultancy, across flood risk, insurance and risk management, with deep knowledge of the English and Welsh planning systems. She is a CIWEM Environmental Partner and sits on the committee of CIWEM's South Eastern Branch.

Emma Jeffery MSci (Hons) — Senior Flood Risk Consultant

Emma is a Senior Flood Risk Consultant with over 20 years in the industry. She leads flood modelling and site-specific assessments for developers, insurers, local authorities and water companies, including international multi-source modelling, and specialises in hydrological and hydraulic modelling and UK flood risk legislation.

Antony Rousou BSc (Hons) C.WEM MCIWEM — Senior Flood Risk and Drainage Consultant

Antony is a Chartered Water and Environmental Manager and leads Unda's growing drainage and SuDS team. He delivers drainage strategies and flood risk assessments for due diligence and planning across the UK, and is skilled at working with regulators to deliver projects on time.

In the press and on air

Unda is regularly asked to provide expert opinion and analysis for national publications, including the Daily Telegraph, the Daily Express and Farmers Weekly. Journalists come to practitioners because the questions their readers ask — is my home at risk, will this development flood, what does climate change mean for my street — need answers grounded in real sites and real data rather than theory. A selection of coverage:

21 January 2021

Before you buy a home, do these three things to check if your property is at risk of flooding

December 2021

Climate change: Amphibious 'floating' houses could prove the key to surviving storms and floods

Ongoing

Expert opinion and analysis on flood risk for the agricultural press.

The subjects journalists raise with us are usually the ones the public is already asking. The Environment Agency's updated National Flood Risk Assessment puts around 6.3 million properties in England in areas at risk of flooding from rivers, the sea or surface water — a figure our team has unpacked in our analysis of flood risk and the UK housing market — and research shows flood exposure already feeds through into house prices. Those are national stories, but they play out one property at a time, which is where practitioner comment earns its keep.

Expert witness and advisory work

Unda regularly acts as an expert witness on flood risk and drainage matters, providing independent, technically robust opinion and analysis to support planning appeals, disputes and litigation, alongside advisory work for developers, landowners and public-sector bodies.

The value of an expert witness rests on independence: the opinion has to hold up under scrutiny from the other side's advisers, an inspector or a judge, so it has to be built on evidence rather than advocacy. That discipline runs through Unda's expert work:

• Planning appeals. Independent flood risk and drainage evidence where an application has been refused or a decision is being contested.
• Disputes and litigation. Technically robust opinion and analysis on flooding and drainage matters, prepared for use in formal proceedings.
• Advisory work. Ongoing support for developers, landowners and public-sector bodies who need a clear, defensible view of flood risk before decisions are made.

That evidence draws on the same technical foundations as our day-to-day consultancy: in-house hydraulic modelling, detailed knowledge of national policy through the NPPF in England and TAN15 in Wales, and direct experience of how Sequential and Exception Tests are argued and decided — territory the courts continue to shape, as our commentary on the Yatton Exception Test judgment explores.

Talks and industry events

Unda attends and speaks at industry conferences, technical seminars and CPD events across the flood risk and drainage sector, sharing our experience on planning, modelling and sustainable drainage with peers and clients.

The sector moves quickly — climate change allowances are revised, national policy shifts, and drainage standards evolve — and staying visible at industry events is part of how the team keeps its advice current. It works in both directions: what we learn from regulators and fellow practitioners feeds back into client work, and the lessons from real sites inform what we present. If your organisation would like a speaker on flood risk, drainage or planning policy, use the media contact details below.

Professional memberships and accreditations

Credentials matter in a field where advice carries statutory weight. Unda's are held at both company and individual level:

• CIWEM Business Partner. Unda is a Business Partner of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management, the professional body for the water and environment sector — we explain what CIWEM is and why it matters on our blog.
• Chartered consultants. Our consultants are CIWEM members, including Chartered Water and Environmental Managers (C.WEM MCIWEM).
• Committee-level involvement. Director Jackie Stone is a CIWEM Environmental Partner and a committee member of CIWEM's South Eastern Branch.

Insight and analysis

Beyond external coverage, Unda publishes regularly in its own right. Our news and blog carries explainers, deep dives and commentary on flooding and drainage — from planning and policy changes and industry news to notable flood events and the latest scientific and technical developments. Recent examples include a practical guide to climate change allowances for flood risk assessments, a look at how accurate flood maps really are, and a plain-English explainer on declaring flood history when selling a house.

The same team builds free public tools: a flood risk map postcode checker and a live river levels map, plus local guidance covering over 230 towns and counties, individual rivers and local authority requirements across England and Wales.

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Need a flood risk assessment rather than a commentator?

Many visitors land here while looking for a specific service. If that's you, these are the quickest routes:

• Planning application in England: a flood risk assessment for planning to support your submission.
• Development in Wales: a Flood Consequence Assessment under TAN15.
• Buying a home: a flood risk survey for property purchase before you commit.
• Insurance difficulties: a flood risk assessment for insurance purposes.
• Sequential or Exception Test: standalone test reports for planning permission.
• BREEAM credits: a flood risk assessment for BREEAM.
• Drainage for planning: a SuDS drainage strategy or discharge of drainage conditions.

Not sure which applies? Call +44 (0) 1293 214444 or email enquiries@unda.co.uk and we'll point you in the right direction.

Media enquiries

Journalists and producers looking for expert comment, data or background on flood risk and drainage are welcome to get in touch. For media interviews and expert commentary on flooding issues contact Edward Bouët on +44 (0) 1293 214444 or email press@unda.co.uk.

Frequently asked questions

Work with us

If you need a flood-risk opinion you can rely on — and stand behind in front of a planning committee, an inspector or a court — talk to Unda. Our experienced consultants advise on everything from single homes to major developments across England and Wales.

Prefer to talk it through first? Call +44 (0) 1293 214444 or email enquiries@unda.co.uk and one of our experienced consultants will be happy to help.