Flood Risk Guidance for Development
Warwickshire County Council Flood Risk Management team first published its flood risk and sustainable drainage (SuDS) guidance document in 2015. This was soon after the LLFA was made a statutory consultee to the planning process for Major Development.
In the intervening time there have been increasing expectations regarding how development provides good design and manages the environment. We believe SuDS can play an important role in all facets of a development: managing flood risk; improving water quality; providing habitats and increasing bio-diversity; and aiding placemaking and creating attractive community orientated spaces. It is therefore time for an update to our guidance.
Our latest Flood Risk Guidance for Development (PDF, 4.4MB) provides advice regarding flood risk and surface water drainage and should be used by masterplanners, consultants and other stakeholders in designing developments. We hope this updated guidance provides a vision of holistic surface water management in new developments, allowing space for watercourses and SuDS from the outset.
Throughout, we have tried to provide examples of different scales and features to provoke thought and innovation, driving a greater uptake of SuDS across a development, not just in single/large features at the end of pipe runs.