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 time since, planning policy has continued to evolve alongside the publication of the National Standards for Sustainable Drainage Systems where these standards are explicitly reference in NPPF policy F8.
To support implementation of the National Standards for Sustainable Drainage Systems, we have revised our Flood Risk Guidance for Development (PDF, 5.6 MB) to complement the Standards alongside developing an accompanying flow chart for Standard 2: Everyday Rainfall (PDF, 142 KB). Together, our guidance provides interpretation and examples in demonstrating compliance and further information is on the next page regarding the National Standards.
We believe SuDS can play an important role in all facets of a development: managing flood risk and everyday rainfall; improving water quality; providing habitats and increasing bio-diversity; and aiding placemaking and creating attractive community orientated spaces. Our guidance provides such advice 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 to meet the Standards.