urban design theory
Urban design theory the protection of watercourse corridors within a green network and their use in place making avoidance of new culverting and efforts to open existing culverted watercourses requiring sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) in new developments the use of Section 106 agreements – from the Town and Country Planning Act – or community infrastructure levy (CIL) to secure suitable surface water drainage arrangements e.g. regional SuDS facilities and improvements to watercourses.
Sustainable drainage and the planning process in England
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and its associated technical guidance (that replaced
Planning Policy Statement 25 (PPS25) in 2012) states that priority should be given to sustainable drainage and discusses the impact of new development on flood risk. The NPPF maintains strong policy on avoiding and managing flood risk, based on local planning authorities preparing local plans and deciding planning applications and granting planning permissions.
Design criteria
Setting the design criteria at the start of the project and establishing a clear SuDS vision ensures that the
SuDS scheme and/or components are not secondary to other requirements for the site. Sustainable drainage should be integrated into the urban form, whether using hard engineering or soft landscaping features.
Design criteria (as set out in table 1) for the SuDS scheme provide a useful framework for delivering a scheme that meets objectives agreed by the client and design team. These will ideally relate to flood risk management
(water quantity), water quality, and the provision of biodiversity and amenity. It may not be possible to maximise opportunities for all three objectives and the extent that this happens should be discussed with the relevant stakeholders. More specific guidance on the design criteria can be found in C697 the SuDS Manual
Table 1: Considerations for design criteria
Design criteria
Key principles
Sustainable drainage and the planning process in England
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and its associated technical guidance (that replaced
Planning Policy Statement 25 (PPS25) in 2012) states that priority should be given to sustainable drainage and discusses the impact of new development on flood risk. The NPPF maintains strong policy on avoiding and managing flood risk, based on local planning authorities preparing local plans and deciding planning applications and granting planning permissions.
Design criteria
Setting the design criteria at the start of the project and establishing a clear SuDS vision ensures that the
SuDS scheme and/or components are not secondary to other requirements for the site. Sustainable drainage should be integrated into the urban form, whether using hard engineering or soft landscaping features.
Design criteria (as set out in table 1) for the SuDS scheme provide a useful framework for delivering a scheme that meets objectives agreed by the client and design team. These will ideally relate to flood risk management
(water quantity), water quality, and the provision of biodiversity and amenity. It may not be possible to maximise opportunities for all three objectives and the extent that this happens should be discussed with the relevant stakeholders. More specific guidance on the design criteria can be found in C697 the SuDS Manual
Table 1: Considerations for design criteria
Design criteria
Key principles