Scottish SUDS working party publishes new guidance
The new guidance is intended to help guide those involved in the installation of water and drainage infrastructure (both new and retrofitting) through the necessary stages to obtain relevant permissions and comply with standards and policies.
Target audience for the guidance are primarily those involved in the design and management of water infrastructure in addition to planners. It provides advice on the steps, processes and stakeholder engagement usually required before permission to construct new water supply and drainage systems can be granted.
The introduction to the guidance says that while the role of planning has long been understood, the importance of multi-stakeholder cooperation and partnership working will become increasingly paramount in order to ensure long-term sustainable water management.
The guidance says that while it recognises that the basic requirement for a developer is to obtain an effective drainage system for the site, the opportunity exists for an approach which meets the demands of the developer and also gives due consideration to other fundamental aspects of the water cycle. This includes flood risk management, environmental protection and the potential for the delivery of increased biodiversity.
The guidance goes on to point out that as part of this, government policy advocates the use of multi-functional SuDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems or Sustainable Drainage Systems) and green infrastructure. The guidance highlights how to achieve the use of these approaches.
The SUDSWP is a multi-stakeholder group established to promote the use of sustainable drainage in Scotland.
Members of the group include:
Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)
Scottish Water
The Scottish Government
Homes for Scotland
Scottish Enterprise
Society of Chief Officers for Transportation in Scotland (SCOTS)
Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS)
Landscape Institute Scotland (LIS)
Heads of Planning Scotland (HOPS)
Read more and download the guidance from here.
More policy documents are available from the susdrain resources section.