The Dirtiest Drop: Rethinking Rain in Our Cities
For decades, the way we designed drainage in our towns and cities followed a simple principle: get water away from buildings as quickly as possible. Pipes, tanks and underground infrastructure were designed to move rainwater off site and into sewers or nearby watercourses. But what we have learned over the last few years is that the first […]
Nature-based SuDS should be the default. What’s holding them back?
For more than a decade, the UK has broadly agreed on the direction of travel for surface water management. Policy documents reference it. Guidance supports it. Demonstration projects prove it. Designers increasingly understand how to deliver it. And yet, across much of England, nature-based Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) are still often delivered through planning negotiation […]
Building Urban Drainage Resilience Through Distributed Solutions
Our existing urban drainage systems are being asked to do far more than they were ever designed for. Denser development, hard landscaping, population growth and increasingly intense rainfall are combining to expose a fundamental weakness in traditional sewer networks. The symptoms are now familiar: surface water flooding that appears without warning, wastewater assets pushed beyond […]
Building Climate Resilience into our Street Trees
It may feel counter-intuitive to discuss heat stress as the nights are starting to turn colder, but the climate change data is unambiguous: hotter, drier summers and shorter, more intense downpours are here to stay. With this in mind, Forestry England recently released a new ‘species for the future’ list of trees most likely to […]
Balancing the Urban Equation Through Green Infrastructure
In an era of rapid urbanisation and climate change, how we allocate our limited land resources has never been more critical. The concept of land budgets offers a systematic approach to ensure land is used efficiently and equitably, balancing development needs with environmental preservation. This challenge has gained renewed urgency as planners and policymakers increasingly […]
The Importance of Urban Trees in Stormwater Management
When heavy rains hit urban areas, traditional drainage systems can become overwhelmed within minutes, turning streets into rivers and overwhelming sewage systems. As cities continue to expand and climate change intensifies weather patterns, this problem is only getting worse. Street trees, however, present a proven natural solution to these urban stormwater management challenges. The Problem […]
New national SuDS standards are transforming development for a more resilient future
The introduction of new national standards for Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) marks a significant step forward in the way water management is addressed in urban development. This regulatory update reinforces the growing consensus among industry professionals that effective drainage solutions must work with natural processes, not against them. In the UK, Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) […]
How Felixstowe Delivered Successful SuDS Through Cross-Agency Collaboration
Bloor Homes’ residential development in Felixstowe, Suffolk provides a practical example of implementing Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS) within the constraints of modern UK housing projects. The development occurred during a period of regulatory transition, requiring navigation of new environmental requirements while managing the realities of urban site limitations. The project demonstrates the practical challenges […]
Tree Pits and Raingardens are Transforming Climate-Resilient Urban Design
Urban communities across the UK are experiencing more frequent and intense flooding events that challenge the capacity of conventional drainage networks. As weather patterns evolve, and rainfall becomes more unpredictable, traditional infrastructure approaches are reaching their operational limits. This changing landscape presents an opportunity to rethink how we manage stormwater in our towns and cities, […]
Greening the Gap: The Challenges of Implementing Green Infrastructure for Local Authorities
Local authorities across the UK are increasingly recognising the vital importance of green infrastructure in creating resilient, liveable towns and cities. More councils are now also making green solutions a necessity in their design guides. However, transforming this policy ambition into practical reality presents significant challenges. Balancing rapid urban development with environmental protection creates difficult […]