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Parade, Sutton ColdfieldPhoto: Bill Boaden · CC BY-SA 2.0
B−Hazard risk Grade
Flood & hazards in Royal Sutton Coldfield · Environment Agency

Heavy rain is Royal Sutton Coldfield’s main flood risk: 2.8% of homes, against 0.4% from rivers or the sea

On the Environment Agency’s maps, which allow for flood defences, “high or medium” means at least a 1 in 100 chance of flooding from rivers or the sea in any year. Royal Sutton Coldfield’s Hazard risk Grade is B−: #23 of 35 in West Midlands.

0flood warnings since 200627%in a radon Affected Area
In brief

What stands out about Royal Sutton Coldfield’s hazards

From the Environment Agency’s maps and records and the BGS radon atlas, below.

Rain, more than the river2.8% of homes sit where heavy rain can flood the streets, against 0.4% at risk from rivers and the sea.No flood warning since 2006The Environment Agency has 1 warning area in Royal Sutton Coldfield and hasn’t had to issue a flood warning for it.Radon in parts7% of the town is in 1 km squares where 5% or more of homes may be above the radon action level.
By hazard

What Royal Sutton Coldfield faces

Each hazard against its own yardstick; meters run from low to high on that yardstick.

Rivers and the sea

0.4%of homes at high or medium risk
More than the typical UK town · more than 54% of towns
141 homes by the EA’s own count

Surface water

2.8%of homes at high or medium risk
More than 38% of UK towns
Rivers and sea: 0.4%

Flood warnings

0flood warnings since 2006
215 flood alerts for the wider area
Never warned

Radon

27%of the town in a radon Affected Area
Highest band here: 10–30% of homes
7% in squares of 5% or more
Not on this page: coastal erosion, subsidence and shrink-swell ground (the British Geological Survey licenses it), groundwater flooding and reservoir failure.
Hazard risk Grade

Royal Sutton Coldfield grades B− for hazard risk

Flood risk from rivers and the sea, against all UK towns.

Homes at high or medium flood risk (0.4%)Fewer than 46% of UK towns

The share of homes at high or medium risk from rivers and the sea, ranked against every UK town of 1,000 or more: fewer homes at risk is better. Towns with none at high or medium risk are ordered by their share at low risk, so they don’t all share one score. Surface water and radon aren’t graded: they are described below.

Flood map

Where the water goes in Royal Sutton Coldfield

Turn layers on and off. Blue is the risk from rivers and the sea; pink is where heavy rain collects. Both allow for flood defences.

© OpenStreetMap contributors · EA NaFRA2
HighMediumLowrivers & seaHighMediumLowsurface waterRoyal Sutton Coldfield’s built-up area

The river and sea risk follows the River Tame and the Ford Brook. Surface-water risk is spread across the town, in dips, underpasses and along small streams, which is why more homes are exposed to it.

Rivers and the sea

0.4% of Royal Sutton Coldfield’s homes are at high or medium risk from rivers or the sea

The Environment Agency’s national map, allowing for defences. A further 0.2% are at low risk.

High risk0.2%of homes · 1 in 30 a year or more97 homes, EA count
Medium risk0.1%of homes · 1 in 30 to 1 in 10044 homes, EA count
Low risk0.2%of homes · 1 in 100 to 1 in 1,00062 homes, EA count
Where Royal Sutton Coldfield sits among 3,735 UK towns
35%None
23%Under 0.5%Royal Sutton Coldfield
9%0.5–1%
11%1–2%
11%2–5%
5%5–10%
3%10–20%
2%20% +

Share of each UK town’s homes at high or medium risk from rivers and the sea. 35% of UK towns have none; Royal Sutton Coldfield has more than 54% of towns.

Towns its size: 26th of 82 from the fewest homes at risk
#TownPeopleHigh or med.
1Oldham Greater Manchester110,7220%
2Birkenhead Merseyside109,8540%
3Basildon Essex115,935under 0.1%
…
24Eastbourne East Sussex99,1710.3%
25Rugby Warwickshire78,1300.3%
26Royal Sutton Coldfield West Midlands93,3920.4%
27Darlington County Durham93,0220.4%
28Rochdale Greater Manchester111,2580.4%
…
81Maidenhead Berkshire67,3916%
82Grimsby Lincolnshire85,9158.9%

UK towns of 65,000 to 131,000 people.

The Environment Agency’s Risk of Flooding from Rivers and Sea (NaFRA2, June 2026) counts each postcode’s homes by band; the shares weight those postcodes by Census 2021 households. The EA counts include homes built since 2021.

Surface water

Heavy rain puts about 8.1 times as many Royal Sutton Coldfield homes at risk as rivers and the sea do

Surface water is rain that falls faster than drains and the ground can take it. It is mapped separately from rivers and the sea, and it is not in the Hazard risk Grade.

Surface water2.8%
Rivers and the sea0.4%
0%7%14% of homes

About 1.1% of homes are at high risk of surface-water flooding (a 1 in 30 chance or more each year) and 1.7% at medium risk: roughly 1,120 households. A further 5.9% face a low risk from surface water. That is more than 38% of UK towns.

~1,120
households at high or medium risk
5.9%
of homes at low risk
38%
of UK towns have a smaller share
45,801
addresses read on the map

Our estimate: every address in the town (ONS NSUL) read on the Environment Agency’s Risk of Flooding from Surface Water map (NaFRA2, 2025), each postcode’s share weighted by its Census 2021 households. Neither agency publishes a count of homes for surface water, so treat it as a guide; one street can differ from the next.

Flood warnings

No flood warning or alert is in force for Royal Sutton Coldfield · 0 warnings in 20 years

The Environment Agency has 1 flood warning area and 2 alert areas reaching into the town; warnings since the service began in 2006.

Now: no flood warnings or alerts for Royal Sutton Coldfield (checked 8 November 2026, 00:29). Check for flooding on GOV.UK →
Warnings and alerts each year for areas in Royal Sutton Coldfield
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
Flood warning (flooding expected)Flood alert (flooding possible)

None of Royal Sutton Coldfield’s 1 flood warning area has had a flood warning since the service began in 2006.

Show the 3 warning and alert areas
AreaKindSince 2006Now
Plants Brook at Sutton ColdfieldWarning area0None
Upper TameAlert area124None
Middle TameAlert area91None

Environment Agency Historic Flood Warnings (first issues only, not updates; “flood watch” counted as an alert before 2011) and the real-time flood-monitoring API. Sign up for free warnings on GOV.UK or call Floodline, 0345 988 1188.

Radon

Parts of Royal Sutton Coldfield are in radon Affected Areas, up to the 10–30% band

Radon is a natural radioactive gas from the ground; long exposure raises the risk of lung cancer. The atlas gives the chance that a home in each 1 km square is above the UK action level (200 Bq/m³).

SP0795: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP0796: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP0894: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP0895: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP0896: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP0994: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP0995: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP0998: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSP0999: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK0900: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSP1093: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP1094: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP1095: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP1097: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSP1098: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSP1099: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSK1000: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSK1001: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSP1192: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP1193: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP1194: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP1195: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP1196: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSP1197: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP1198: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSP1199: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK1100: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK1101: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSP1292: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP1293: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP1294: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP1295: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP1296: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP1297: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP1298: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSP1299: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK1200: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSP1392: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP1393: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP1394: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP1395: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP1396: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP1397: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP1398: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP1399: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK1300: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSP1492: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP1493: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP1494: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP1495: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP1496: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP1497: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP1596: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP1597: Under 1% of homes above the action level© OpenStreetMap contributors · BGS/UKHSA
Under 1%1–3%5–10%10–30%
Share of the town’s area in each band
Under 1% of homes73%
1–3% of homes20%
5–10% of homes4%
10–30% of homes4%

27% of Royal Sutton Coldfield’s built-up area is in a radon Affected Area (1% of homes or more above the action level), and 7% in squares of 5% or more, mostly on the north side of the town.

The squares are indicative: each takes the highest band found anywhere inside it, so most homes in a coloured square are below it. Only a three-month test in the home gives a real answer.

BGS/UKHSA Indicative Atlas of Radon in Great Britain, version 3. Check an address at UKradon.org.

Neighbours

Flood risk in the places around Royal Sutton Coldfield

Share of homes at high or medium and at low risk from rivers and the sea. Tap a town for its page.

Streetly: Hazard risk BPheasey: Hazard risk ACurdworth: Hazard risk B−Aldridge: Hazard risk AWater Orton: Hazard risk B+Shenstone: Hazard risk B+Stonnall: Hazard risk AStreetlyPheaseyCurdworthAldridgeWater OrtonShenstoneStonnallRoyal Sutton Coldfield
ABCD
TownPeopleHigh or mediumLowHazard
Royal Sutton Coldfield93,3920.4%0.2%B−
Streetly16,7900.1%0%B
Pheasey9,4980%0%A
Curdworth1,1460.3%0%B−
Aldridge15,8270%0%A
Water Orton3,4840%0.3%B+
Shenstone2,1960%0.3%B+
Stonnall1,3400%0%A

Royal Sutton Coldfield has more homes at high or medium risk than any neighbour in the table.

Be ready

Get ready for what Royal Sutton Coldfield faces

Free warnings, what to do in a cloudburst, and what to check before you move.

Get the warnings
  • Sign up free for Environment Agency flood warnings by text, call or email.
  • Floodline: 0345 988 1188, 24 hours.
  • Royal Sutton Coldfield’s warning areas include Plants Brook at Sutton Coldfield.
Sign up ↗
In a cloudburst
  • Surface water rises in minutes, often with no warning issued: stay out of underpasses and dips.
  • Keep the gullies and drains outside your home clear of leaves.
  • Report a blocked road drain to the council.
Radon
  • Test over three months, in a living room and a bedroom.
  • Above 200 Bq/m³, a small sump and fan usually fixes it.
  • New homes in radon areas are built with protection: basic from 3%, full from 10%.
UKradon ↗
Before you buy or rent in Royal Sutton Coldfield
  • Check the address on GOV.UK’s long-term flood risk service: it gives rivers and sea and surface water separately.
  • Ask whether the home has flooded or had a flood insurance claim; the TA6 property form asks the seller.
  • Homes built before 2009 can get flood cover through Flood Re, the government-backed scheme; newer homes can’t.
  • Check radon for the address on UKradon.org (a small fee) or ask the seller for a test result.
How to read these numbers

What this data can and can’t tell you

  • Defences are counted. Both agencies’ maps allow for flood defences and the chance they are overtopped or fail, so a town behind a defence scheme can show few homes at high risk and many at low risk.
  • Surface water is our estimate. Neither agency publishes a count of homes at risk from surface water, so we read each address on the map. A flat on a hill and a basement in a dip can share a postcode.
  • One town, many streets. Risk is street by street. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s long-term flood risk service before you buy or rent.

Check the long-term flood risk for an address on GOV.UK →

Questions about flooding and hazards in Royal Sutton Coldfield

Does Royal Sutton Coldfield flood?

0.4% of homes are at high or medium risk from rivers and the sea on the Environment Agency’s maps, which allow for flood defences. About 2.8% of homes are at high or medium risk from surface water, when heavy rain overwhelms the drains. Royal Sutton Coldfield grades B− for hazard risk against UK towns.

Which parts of Royal Sutton Coldfield are at risk of flooding?

From rivers and the sea, the places the Environment Agency warns directly: Plants Brook at Sutton Coldfield. Surface water can collect in low spots anywhere in the town. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s long-term flood risk service.

Is Royal Sutton Coldfield at risk of surface water flooding?

About 1.1% of homes are at high risk and 1.7% at medium risk from surface water, against 0.4% at high or medium risk from rivers and the sea. Surface water floods come with little warning, and the agencies don’t issue warnings for them.

Is radon a problem in Royal Sutton Coldfield?

27% of the town’s built-up area is in a radon Affected Area on the BGS/UKHSA atlas, and 7% is in 1 km squares where 5% or more of homes may be above the action level. Most homes are below it; a three-month test is the only way to know.

Are there flood warnings in Royal Sutton Coldfield now?

No flood warning or alert was in force near Royal Sutton Coldfield at 8 November 2026, 00:29. Live warnings are on GOV.UK’s Check for flooding service and Floodline, 0345 988 1188.

Contains Environment Agency information © Environment Agency and/or database right 2026. Contains British Geological Survey materials © UKRI 2026.

Sources: Environment Agency Risk of Flooding from Rivers and Sea, postcodes in areas at risk (June 2026); Natural Resources Wales Flood Risk Assessment Wales (May 2026); ONS Census 2021 households by postcode · Environment Agency Risk of Flooding from Surface Water (NaFRA2, 2025) and Natural Resources Wales Flood Risk Assessment Wales surface water and small watercourses, read at every address (ONS National Statistics UPRN Lookup, September 2026) and weighted by Census 2021 households by postcode · Environment Agency real-time flood-monitoring API · Environment Agency Historic Flood Warnings (January 2006 to June 2026) and flood warning and alert areas · BGS/UKHSA Indicative Atlas of Radon in Great Britain, version 3, by 1 km square · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.