Early engagement with stakeholders is needed to plan for sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) and for green urbanisation, a civil planning event has heard.
SuDS are designed to mimic natural water processes within modern drainage systems through a collection of water management practices. This is to allow drainage systems to cope better with flooding.
“You can’t simply plan a development and then tack on a SuDS element as an afterthought,” said Sean Robinson, specification director at infrastructure firm Polypipe Civil. He said SuDS must be considered at the design stage to achieve the desired aesthetic, resilience and biodiversity outcomes.
Speaking at an online event on Realising Resilience that focused on Wales, where SuDS are a statutory requirement to manage surface water, Robinson’s advice was echoed by Matt Bradley of Civils & Landscape. Bradley advocated for a collaborative approach with early planning. “The benefits of green urbanisation can’t be realised by one body on its own,” he said. “You need early engagement between stakeholders and manufacturers because cooperation is the key to success.”
Their advice also included engaging with the SuDS Approval Body (SAB) early in the design process to ensure approval is passed without additional time or costs.
SuDS can manage runoff and flow rates from non-porous surfaces, reducing the impact of urbanisation on flooding.
In October 2019 Ofwat approved plans for using environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional drainage systems in construction.
This included guidance for SuDS for new housing to allow water companies to take over the management of SuDS once a development was completed.
Implementation of SuDS became a mandatory consideration in the planning system in 2015 but is not a mandatory requirement.
There are many reasons that allow developers to not implement SuDS drainage on particular developments and Water UK said this remains a source of contention to all parties involved in drainage matters, including the water companies.