December 2, 2015, by Blue-Green team

The new SuDS manual (C753) is out!

The UK’s most comprehensive SuDS guidance has been released to support uptake, manage floods and create better places and spaces.

As the UK moves into winter, potentially a time of greater flood risk as seen during the 2013-2014 winter, CIRIA (Construction Industry Research and Information Association) has launched the most comprehensive industry SuDS guidance available in the UK. This guidance focuses on the cost-effective planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of SuDS. In the imposing setting of the House of Lords, the new SuDS Manual and BeST (Benefits of SuDS Tool) were launched on 12th November 2015.

SuDS recognise the value of rainwater, seeking to capture, use, delay or absorb it, rather than reject it as a nuisance or problem. Sustainable drainage delivers multiple benefits. As well as delivering high quality drainage whilst supporting areas to cope better with severe rainfall, SuDS can also improve the quality of life in developments and urban spaces by making them more vibrant, visually attractive, sustainable and resilient to change by improving urban air quality, regulating building temperatures, reducing noise and delivering recreation and education opportunities.

Earlier this year a ministerial statement made by The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government made it clear that SuDS must play a greater role in the planning system, and to that effect it was made a requirement that sustainable drainage systems will be provided in new major developments wherever appropriate.

The SuDS Manual (C697), first published by CIRIA in 2007, is the one-stop-shop for delivering SuDS and it is this guidance that has been significantly revised. The updated SuDS Manual (now C753) incorporates the very latest research, industry practice and guidance. In delivering SuDS there is a requirement to meet the framework set out by the Government’s ‘non statutory technical standards’ and the revised SuDS Manual complements these but goes further to support the cost effective delivery of multiple benefits.

Representatives from the Blue-Green Cities research project, Lan Hoang (University of Cambridge) and Deonie Allen (Heriot-Watt University), attended the unveiling, welcoming the advancement of guidance, knowledge exchange and benefits provide in these two comprehensive publications.

Prof Lord Krebs set the stage in his address on SuDS and climate change adaption, discussing the climate change committee recommendations for successful UK implementation of SuDS. Key elements of the new SuDS manual, a 900+ implementation, design and philosophy encyclopaedia for the UK, were presented by Bridget Woods-Ballard followed by a panel of retrofit, myth busting and delivery presentations and question session with influential UK landscape architects, engineers, designers and local authority representatives.

Both the SuDS Manual and BeST publications and tool are freely available via the CIRIA and SUSDRAIN websites.

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