Bluesky rolls out geospatial tool for flood risk and urban planning

Bluesky International, a Woolpert company, has unveiled a new change detection analysis service that tracks shifts in tree canopy cover and permeable surfaces. Designed to support flood risk strategies, tree planting programmes and regeneration schemes, the service provides local authorities, developers, utilities and consultants with clear, quantifiable insight into how UK landscapes are changing.

The launch comes at a critical moment. Wetter weather has risen by 10% over the past decade, and 2024 was recorded as the wettest year to date. Flooding has become increasingly frequent, with major floods occurring every year since 2007. Combined with rapid urbanization and ambitious housing targets, these trends are placing growing pressure on public bodies to balance development with environmental resilience.

Getting ahead of future risk

“Monitoring environmental change is critical if we want to get ahead of future risk,” explains Ian Dee, associate director for R&D at Bluesky. “Urban creep, climate change and large-scale development are reducing permeable surfaces and increasing flood pressure, especially during extreme rainfall. Our change detection analysis provides clear, quantifiable insight into canopy loss and surface sealing over time. It helps authorities assess where planting schemes are working, where further intervention is needed, and where surface water risk is growing.”

The service combines Bluesky’s high-resolution aerial imagery – both current and historical – with four-band infrared to assess surface permeability. This is done alongside its National Tree Map (NTM) – the only dataset capturing the height, location and canopy extent of all trees taller than three metres across Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. Together, these datasets enable in-depth desktop modelling, helping organizations identify risk areas and design evidence-based, sustainable solutions.