Developers will no longer automatically have the right to connect to existing drainage networks unless they have an approved sustainable drainage system (SuDS) in place, under new proposals.
The government proposals will make SuDS mandatory on all new developments in England and aim to tackle surface flooding and sewage pollution. They follow publication of a review into SuDs carried out by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Permeable surfaces like grass and soil help prevent flooding, but can be removed during design and construction. Mandating SuDS will mean features like soakaways, grassed areas, and other permeable surfaces and wetlands are given consideration and put in place.
Surface water flooding puts pressure on the drainage network as it quickly uses up capacity, leading to increasing instances of sewage being discharged into waterways as well as inland.
SuDS can also include tanks and water butts that help save and reuse water, reducing pressure on resources as well as helping to prevent flooding. SuDS are already mandatory in Wales, which has developed its own national standards.
Increasing pressure
Environment minister Rebecca Pow said traditional systems were, “under increasing pressure from the effects of climate change, urbanisation and a growing population”.
She added that SuDS offered many benefits, “from mitigating flood risk by catching and storing surplus water and reducing storm overflow discharges, to enhancing local nature in the heart of our developments and helping with harvesting valuable rain water”.
The UK Green Building Council has campaigned for this change. Public affairs and policy adviser Philip Box said: “Well-designed sustainable drainage is widely recognised as the best way to manage flooding risks and pollution overflows – both serious challenges to communities that will worsen as our climate changes.”
Public consultation
The changes would be through an amendment to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. This would add a Schedule 3, which would provide the framework for the design, standards, and maintenance of SuDS as well as establishing an approval body.
The government said it would be “mindful of the cumulative impact of new regulatory burdens” on the development sector when implementing, and would be holding a public consultation later this year.
Town and County Planning Association charity director of policy, Hugh Ellis, welcomed the news, but regretted the delay. He said: “By the time it comes into force, 14 wasted years will have passed. During that time we will have built three million homes which could have benefitted from the added security and green infrastructure which SuDS can provide.”
A spokesperson from environmental charity Thames21 said it wasn’t right that developers could connect to the drainage system “whether it’s overcapacity or not”, and that the proposals would “oblige developers to look at the state of the drainage system before connecting to it”.
