RAINWATER MANAGEMENT


AN APPETITE FOR BIO-DIVERSITY


Drainage and water management systems can make a real difference to biodiversity schemes and BMJ discovers more.


T


he introduction of biodiversity net gain (BNG) is described by the government as one of the ‘biggest changes to planning regulations in decades’ for builders and housing developers. Designed to ensure developments are contributing more positively to wildlife habitats than before building work began, it will force the industry to consider the different ways they can make a more significant impact to nature’s recovery.


However, Marshalls product innovation manager, Chris Adair points out that there is also a second, similarly pertinent piece of legislation on the horizon which will require builders and developers to think differently when it comes to drainage. Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act will soon be adopted in full, putting Sustainable Drainage Solutions (SUDs) central to the prevention of flooding from storm overflow discharges on new developments. “For merchants, this two-step shift provides an opportunity to support builders and developers who are looking for a solution that might meet both requirements simultaneously. Thankfully, a new innovation in rain gardens offers the answer,” he says.


BNG x SUDs


Although they are two separate pieces of legislation, BNG and Schedule 3 overlap in terms of their potential positive impact on the communities we live in.


Adair says that, while it was previously up to each individual developer to decide how much of their developments would be dedicated to features that promote biodiversity, it will now be a legal requirement to achieve at least a 10% increase in BNG from the baseline for each site. That could be through the preservation of wildlife habitats, an increase in the number of green spaces or an improvement in water quality.


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“Similarly, while there’s been emphasis on the benefits of using SUDs in new housing developments for several years, it has always been at the discretion of the developer. As urbanisation, population increase, and the impact of climate change have exposed towns and cities to increased risks of flooding and watercourse pollution, the introduction of Schedule 3, like BNG, looks set to improve our general quality of life,” he says. What’s key to ensuring the industry can navigate both these crucial changes simply and efficiently, are solutions which offer the chance to both reduce the amount of water entering our sewage systems, while also adding natural beauty and biodiversity to a development. Adair says that, this is where a new modular rain garden kerb system, soon to be available from Marshalls, comes in.


Rain garden innovation “Already widely used across public realm and housing developments to provide a flood management system that doubles up as an attractive, biodiverse feature, rain gardens have increased in popularity amongst residential developers in recent years. “Rain gardens use plants and soil to retain and slow the flow of rainwater from surrounding hard surfaces. Water flows into the garden through an inlet in the kerb, is slowed down by a diffuser flag, and is kept at surface level to be absorbed by the soil – both supporting plant life and preventing it from immediately entering the sewer system.” Currently, developers looking to use this approach have to use bespoke solutions for rain garden kerbs, slowing down both the design and installation process. However, Marshalls has developed an off-the-shelf system comprising three simple elements to make it easier than ever to add rain gardens to a development.


Adair explains: “Combining a left hand inlet, right hand inlet and complementary diffuser flag available in a variety of sizes and finishes, it is a true ‘first of its kind’ system which will create both a time and cost saving on site when compared to cutting or repurposing standard kerbs. And due to its modular design, it will reduce the margin for error usually associated with bespoke and made to measure designs, increasing its effectiveness.” He believes that there is no doubt that rain gardens will become one of the key features we rely on to realise the benefits of both BNG and Schedule 3 legislation. “As such, the beauty of EDENKERB™ for merchants is that it makes it easier than ever to help customers integrate rain gardens to their schemes. In a time when swift action is required to make longstanding and widespread change, there’s no better time for merchants to introduce their customers to solutions which cater for multiple mandatory requirements, while also making the world a better place to live.” BMJ


Case in point


To understand its potential impact on the construction industry


and housing developments of the future, Marshalls’ upcoming


rain garden kerb has been trialled as part of a sustainable flood resilience plan in Mansfield, the largest project of its kind ever attempted in the country. As part of the scheme, Mansfield District Council and Nottingham County Council have invested £76million on a range of nature-based solutions to protect communities from flooding. For context, just £15million has been invested into similar, previous projects spanning the whole of the UK. By the time the project completes in 2025, rain gardens will have played a role in storing over 58 million litres of surface water run-off, reducing the flood risk for 90,000 people in the area. Intended to be the blueprint for how to manage flooding in the future, while also making the area a greener place to live, the project is a showcase of the major impact products like Marshalls’ rain garden kerb system will have on communities, as we battle to overcome the catastrophic consequences of biodiversity loss and climate change.


www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net April 2024


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