WORKING TOGETHER TO STREAMLINE SUDS SCHEMES ROUND TABLE REVIEW 41


the shift, such as long–standing groundworks techniques and mindsets. Mark Gillies cited a project which saw Burdens shortlisted for a Ground Engineering Award, where they managed to completely eradicate a specifi cation of 9000 tonnes of drainage by introducing geosynthetics. This meant that 444 truckloads were reduced down to just 10, and the overall package cost reduced from £1.7m to £600,000. He said “we managed to get that over the line through working with the groundworker, the main contractor, engineer, and council. However, Gillies said that since that project, he’d seen “countless designs with that same 500 mm layer of 6G stones specifi ed, and trying to get the groundworker to look at this proven solution just constantly falls on deaf ears.” Mark Shearer from Polypipe said the answer for more engineered solutions was full collaboration, but “it will fall at the fi rst or the second hurdle, unless that whole chain wants to take ownership and work together.” He added: “Normally the biggest constraint is time.” Charlotte Markey highlighted the importance of smart solutions, even saying that smart solutions were the fi fth pillar of SuS, alluding to technologies which are able to fi ne-tune how installations store water for future fl eiility.


One aspect of managing water onsite


which there wasn’t time to discuss in depth was the controversial subject of rainwater harvesting and reuse. Housebuilder Chris Carr (also representing the Construction Industry Council) told attendees that the Ministry of Housing was looking to harness industry insights around rainwater haresting and SuS in its upcoming Water Smart Growth Board which is currently being set up. Paul Shaffer said that despite years of wrangling in the sector about whether Schedule 3 would be implemented, and Suds Approval Boards would materialise to bring forward schemes across the UK, we should not “put too much emphasis on regulation and legislation.” He said “that’s not necessarily going to happen, “ and encouraged people to “weaponise that evidence base to actually make sure the right thing gets done; the economics stack up, the science stacks up.”


CONCLUSION With the climate changing, all new housing developments need to consider mitigating their impact in storm events, and pursue good practice in SuS. n order to achieve the high new build numbers the Government is seeking, a concerted effort is needed across the industry, supported by education of customers  who will ultimately enefi t from resilient, attractive schemes.


Our round table discovered that deelopers must moe from a tic o mindset to “engineers working for those deelopers doing SuS ecause its the right thing to,” in the words of Anglian Water’s Matt Moore. “It adds amenity value, increases house values, and makes a better place for their children to grow up.”


But the key to effective installations long-term is a holistic, ut also tailored design approach that gives full consideration to all of the site-specifi c parameters; Burdens showed how this can aoid waste, etra cost, and overengineering. While this subverts preconceptions, it does also mean new levels of collaboration at early stages. The round table was a successful eample of woring together across the chain, with the industry required to deliver the solutions to this resilience challenge. It can only be done successfully y harnessing this ind of ey eperience.


In association with


INDUSTRY RECOMMENDATIONS


• David Owen, Taylor Wimpey: It comes down to maintenance and the adoptable side of the features that we’re putting in; if that could be clearly defi ned, that’d be a major step forward.


• George Grant, The Environmental Protection Group: Early and consistent involvement throughout the development, and more people that champion collaboration.


• Patrick Flood, Juta UK: Designs by appropriately qualifi ed personnel, changes to performance specifi cations approved by the design team, and verifi cation and inspection by qualifi ed people.


• Matt Moore, Anglian Water: Developers need to be upfront with buyers of properties on the features installed, what they’re there for, and have a realistic conversation around what that development looks like when there’s a one in 100 year storm event.


• Colin Nessfi eld, Mineral Products Association: We need to improve


training, education, and in particular competence.


• Habib Khan, Meristem Design: Bring the right landscaping team in at the beginning, and a realistic, costed maintenance package.


• Shane Frost, Green Blue Urban: Early engagement, and validation at diff erent stages in an installation is very important.


• Thomas Sturtridge, MEC Consulting Group: Education across the value chain to make sure everyone is aware of what needs to be done, and why things have been specifi ed in certain ways.


• Mark Gillies, Burdens: We need collaboration – try to ensure that everyone’s working together, and it’s the same vision.


• Andrew Taylor, Burdens: Maintenance; who looks after the installations and ensures they do the job they are designed to do?


• Ken Graham, Burdens: The messaging to people is very important – SuDS may be in the contract, but does the buyer know, and can we simplify the language?


And – water should be treated as an asset.


• Sean Robinson, Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation: We need to celebrate the good examples of SuDS and use them for education.


• Mark Shearer, Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation: Think about what you want, be realistic, and try to keep it simple.


• Charlotte Markey, Skygarden: Simplify it; SuDS is a bit like smoke and mirrors at the moment, people are much more savvy with energy than they are with water.


• Paul Shaff er, CIWEM: Concentrate on competency – and maybe registration for people who know about nature-based solutions.


• Glen Westmore, ASA: Until we have SABs, some powers for local authorities for inspection and enforcement of maintenance.


• Chris Carr, Carr & Carr Builders: More informative handover packs, including SuDS and BNG, as part of a home’s digital passport.


•


Steve Wilson: The Government needs to bring in Schedule 3!


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