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What sustainable drainage is
Find out what a Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS) is and what property developers have to include in planning applications for major developments.
What a Sustainable Drainage System is
Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) are systems that:
deal with rainwater as close as possible to where it falls
store runoff and release it slowly (attenuation)
allow water to soak into the ground (infiltration)
slowly transport (convey) water on the surface
filter out pollutants
allow sediments to settle out by controlling the flow of the water
Watch CIRIA's (Construction Industry Research and Information Association) easy to follow video on SuDS.
Meet planning application requirements
Major planning applications have to include a detailed drainage strategy. This includes arrangements for sustainable drainage. It must also refer to the non-statutory technical standards.
A major planning application also has to include a maintenance plan. This plan must cover the lifetime of the development.
These requirements always apply unless otherwise agreed at the pre-application stage.
What a major development is
Residential development
10 dwellings or more. Or residential development with a site area of 0.5 hectares or more, where the number of dwellings is not yet known.
Non-residential development
Plans for a building or buildings where the total floor space will be 1,000 square metres or more. Or if the floor area is not yet known, a site area of 1 hectare or more.
Get more advice
You can find information on the planning, design, construction and maintenance of SuDS in the CIRIA SuDS Manual. You can download it for free from CIRIA’s website.
We recommend developers read the manual before they request pre-application advice. In particular the sections about SuDS: