Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) will be made a requirement for all new developments in England, following a government announcement that Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act (2030) will be implemented. The announcement followed a review of the benefits and impacts of SuDS, which recommended the implementation. The UK government has accepted the recommendation and implementation of the new approach is expected to commence during 2024.
Key recommendations from the recently published DEFRA policy review paper on SuDS include the following:
– Define when a drainage system or part of a drainage system provides drainage for a single property.
– Carry out a public consultation on the statutory instruments, impact assessment and standards required for implementing Schedule 3 National standards and guidance requirements.
– Establish, consult on, and publish national standards about how sustainable drainage systems should be designed, constructed, maintained, and operated.
– Issue guidance, to which approving bodies must comply with, on the process of seeking and obtaining approval including how this will interact with planning processes.
– SuDS guidance across government and externally needs to align to support a consistent approach to delivery cost and funding.
– Better understand the cost implications for consultees and on businesses, including development viability and for different types and sizes of developments.
– Commission research to review the extent of existing SuDS expertise and capacity in unitary authorities and county councils, including where the gaps are, what more is needed, and what would be needed to bridge the gap.
We are no stranger to SuDS and regularly provide our SuDS turf to projects up and down the country.
Last year saw us supply a substantial order bound for the new Peterborough University (ARU Peterborough) campus. The new £30 million university for Peterborough began to welcome students in September 2022. The campus comprises a series of SuDS features and landscape improvements which have transformed a neglected area of hardstanding into an area that prioritises biodiversity.
With Peterborough aiming to become the ‘UK’s Environment Capital’, the new University has been very much designed with the environment in mind. Pleasingly, green roofs also feature as a means of increasing biodiversity and control rainwater run-off rates.
To date, we have supplied over 2,500m² of SuDS turf to the project, and we look forward to featuring this project as a SuDS Case study later this year.
Like to learn more about what our SuDS turf has to offer? Visit our Wildflower Turf® SuDS Product Page here or give us a call on 01256 771 222 to speak to a member of our knowledgeable team.