LANDSCAPING & EXTERNAL WORKS 65 Unlocking SuDS benefi ts
With plans for 1.5 million new homes requiring swathes of land across the country including fl ood plains, Richard Eddy of Polypipe Building Products discusses how SuDS could be the key for architects, as the sector enters unchartered territory.
A
mbitious targets are only ever achieved by taking ambitious actions. So, it is perhaps
unsurprising that the UK Government’s aim to build 1.5 million new homes has come with a bold strategy attached. With large swathes of British land governed by strict green belt restrictions, developers have – for many years – largely relied on building upwards or bulldozed brownfi eld sites. The trend of more tall buildings will continue, but with so many more homes required, the government has attempted to accelerate housebuilding by changing the rules around where construction can commence, particularly outside of our city centres. The proposed introduction of ‘brownfi eld passports’ to build on previously developed land that has fallen into disrepair is one tactic. But another is opening up small parcels of lower-quality green belt land, which is being redesignated as ‘grey belt’ – and deemed suitable for construction. Building on neglected or entirely new land comes with challenges – not least in making the area safe from increasing threats of water damage. ‘Think tank’ Localis has reported that over 7,000 homes are being planned for sites in fl ood plains, meaning architects must be putting effective fl ood planning at the forefront of their blueprints to ensure safe building.
Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) will play a key role in the push to ‘Get Britain Building Again’ as the construction sector navigates unfamiliar territory which may come with a heightened risk of fl ood issues.
The vital role of SuDS More than 4.6 million UK properties are already at risk from surface water fl ooding, and with 1.5 million new homes planned for the next fi ve years on new,
ADF APRIL 2025
untested land, there is high urgency for specifi cation of fl ood systems to be integrated into the planning process. The added complication is the call to make housing more resilient, as weather conditions are worsening. In 2024, Britain recorded its wettest winter period for 130 years, and a study found that rainfall in the winter season of 2023/24 was 20% more intense due to climate change.
A move towards higher quality drainage methods is clearly necessary, but this is only part of the solution. Specifi ed systems must also be more sustainable – and ensure they do not perpetuate further damage to the environment that can come as a result of intensive building work.
This is why the role of SuDS is so vital. SuDS installations offer an alternative to traditional drainage systems by managing surface water and fl ood risks in a way that aligns with natural water processes. By mimicking nature, SuDS help to store rainwater, allowing it to infi ltrate the ground or release slowly over time. This replicates greenfi eld natural drainage and reduces the likelihood of fl ooding whilst improving water quality. It could be the answer that architects will need, as they take safety considerations on board for new developments.
How can architects adopt SuDS? The mandatory use of SuDS in all new construction projects for developments which are over 100 m2
is still awaiting
clearance, despite lengthy previous discussions at top levels. This situation has created a degree of ‘fuzziness’ around the importance of the method and its implementation; but including it in plans now means a chance to avoid further inevitable red tape later down the line. The effective adoption of SuDS involves implementation at an early design stage – with each drainage system tailored
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A move towards higher quality drainage methods is clearly necessary, but is only part of the solution
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