Hard Landscaping
WAITING FOR SUDS LAW
SLOWING DOWN AND CLEANING UP
The SuDS philosophy is based on replicating natural drainage on or near the surface, using a management train made up of a series of techniques such as concrete block or other permeable paving and various ‘soft’ landscape techniques including swales and ponds. Where ground conditions preclude complete infiltration straight to the ground, SuDS play an essential role in slowing down and cleaning up runoff on site before discharge into conventional drain systems or watercourses, so improving water quality and reducing downstream flood risks.
In fact, concrete block permeable paving is particularly useful as a source control at the head of the SuDS management train. It reduces peak rate, total volume and frequency of rainwater runoff, and is also particularly effective at removing water-borne pollution offering the important - and often missed - opportunity of a gradual supply of treated water that can be used for amenity. This is something that designers are increasingly exploiting for landscape design, water harvesting and habitat enhancement.
AT SOURCE & ON THE SURFACE Unfortunately, the 2010 Act’s wide-ranging measures cannot be strictly applied until publication and implementation - now promised for next year - of the long-awaited National Standards for SuDS. A draft has already been published and consulted upon, and government plans to engage with stakeholders in developing additional guidance for interpretation. According to the draft National Standards, to comply a drainage system will need to be designed so that surface water runoff is managed at its source and on the surface. Concrete block permeable paving is ideally suited to this and is set to play an important role in the future. Importantly, the existing right to connect surface water drainage systems to public sewers (under Section 106 of the 1991 Water Industry Act) will be limited to those approved under the Act: in other words, only SuDS.
Despite delays with National Standards, a gowing number of planning authorities have pushed ahead and incorporated requirements for SuDS in local policies being implemented now. This stance is supported by The
National Planning Policy Framework (NPFF), as well as previous national policies, such as PPS25. SuDS also form an important part of the ‘Code for Sustainable Homes’ and BREEAM 2011. Responsible designers are embracing SuDS already and integrating them into master-plans from the start as a key consideration, offering benefits and opportunities, rather than problems.
Without question, SuDS are happening on the ground now and industry guidance is key to their success. Concrete block permeable paving is a unique SuDS technology which has proven itself over decades of successful use in the UK and around the world. It has been championed by Interpave which offers the definitive guidance on all aspects - notably in its ‘Understanding Permeable Paving’ guide - available from the Interpave information resource:
www.paving.org.uk
The Government continues to drag its heels in implementing sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) to help reduce flooding, leaving the onus on designers and planners - as Chris Hodson RIBA,
Consultant to the trade body Interpave, explains.
With more summer floods this year it is clear that a sustainable approach to surface water drainage using SuDS must play a key role in responding to climate change and increasing urbanisation. The government has acted with the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 which will effectively make SuDS mandatory, when eventually implemented. It will apply to any construction work that affects the ability of land to absorb rainwater, including access roads, parking areas, hard-standings and other paving around commercial and industrial buildings. Projects of all types will have to comply, including alterations that have drainage implications.
0116 253 6161
www.paving.org.uk
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