Flood Risk & Drainage on Round Table
“SuDS: The State of the Nation is a much- needed initiative to highlight current thinking and concerns about the
Alastair Moseley, Honorary Vice President
implementation of Sustainable Drainage. I was pleased to chair a Round Table debate on the current up-take of SuDS and the challenges we face in managing both floods and water stress in the UK.”
“When we talk about affordability there’s a focus on costs. I think we also need to start thinking about the benefits and trying to see that as another way of looking at affordability.”
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Multiple Benefits
Succeeding with SuDs is about demonstrating multiple benefits to secure funding streams and encouraging multi-agency working to maximise “bang for buck”, said Paul Shaffer, Associate at CIRIA.
“Think about the benefits rather than just costs”
“My vision for SuDs is that we go beyond compliance to enable us really to deliver multiple benefits - primarily for us to have better places for us to live, play and work.”
Positive vision
Bronwyn Buntine, Sustainable Drainage Engineer for Kent County Council - one of the more forward thinking of local authorities in relation to SuDS - also represented the Local Government Association on the panel. She commented: “The survey is reflecting the range of what you have in councils. You have those who are prepared and have resources, capacity and staff whereas you have got smaller councils who do not have capacity who do not have the ability to implement additional requirements.”
“there’s an awful lot can be done on SuDS without legislation”
John Bourne, Deputy Director in the Water Availability and Quality Programme at Defra pointed out that much could be done to implement SuDs without waiting for legislation. “Yes, there is legislation in draft, but actually there’s an awful lot can be done on SuDS without legislation.”
He challenged the view that the Government was not committed: “I don't think there is any evidence, other than the fact that it’s taken longer than anticipated. I actually think if you look at it and look how complicated it is ... and the issues that have to be balanced, then the fact that the Government is still firmly going ahead with it ... and trying to address those issues is actually more a symbol of its commitment, than the opposite.”
Can-Do Approach
Alastair Moseley added: “There’s definitely a need for a ‘can- do’ approach and we don’t have to wait for legislation. We genuinely would wish that we are not going to have something foisted on us; it is better that we are going to have time to develop this thing properly. So it’s the right thing that legislation isn’t rushed in. As we go forward there are initiatives that can be incorporated into it, to the benefit of everybody.”
Case Study Evidence
Professor David Butler of University of Exeter pointed to the need for more evidence to make the case for SuDS.
“What I would like to see more of is case studies and pilot studies, of SuDS in practice. I'd like some more modern solutions, more modern sites that are properly configured, properly monitored over the long term. That builds confidence in their performance and then we can spin that confidence out to practitioners, who then can be confident to specify those systems.”
All agreed that delivering SuDs successfully depended on closer collaboration and partnership both between local authority functions - particularly planning and highways – as well as between local authorities and other stakeholders, especially water companies and the Environment Agency.
Jonathan Glerum, Flood Risk Manager with Anglian Water also provided an important water company perspective on SuDS implementation. Anglian was ‘very pro-SuDS’, he said, and one of the few to adopt SuDS in open space.
“delivering SuDs successfully,
depends on closer collaboration and partnerships”
“Working together in partnerships with the lead local flood authorities gives us a fantastic opportunity to be able to work together and deliver SuDS in an integrated manner. That's something that certainly from a Water Company's perspective is quite new.”
Owen Davies, Sustainability Engineer with Lambeth Council pointed out that progress could be made even on a “door to door” level to encourage implementation of sustainable schemes. Residents have a key role in protecting themselves and their resilience:
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