A call has been issued for greater adoption of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) in an attempt to strengthen flood mitigation efforts across the UK.

This comes after the Welsh government enforced new legislation making SuDS mandatory on all new developments as part of 'Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010' earlier this year. This legislation ensures all new developments of more than one dwelling house or where the construction area is 100m2 or more will require SuDS for surface water.

Although the UK government passed a new law requiring all new developments to include sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) in 2010, it quickly put the rules on hold in a bid to help developers to keep costs down and speed up house-building rates.

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Aggregate Industries has urged the industry to follow by the example set by the Welsh government.

Ian Geeson, Technical Manager at Aggregate Industries said: "It is great to see that, as a result of mounting evidence, Welsh policymakers have taken the mantel and are seeking to drive early SuDS adoption through legal enforcement.

"For far too long flood defence measures have been overlooked by developers, often being left as an afterthought in the final design stages, forgotten entirely or fitted retrospectively after a flood has happened. However, this is to miss the point of SuDS strategy entirely – whereby everything from the very framework of a building and choice of building materials through to the incumbent mitigation mechanisms and surrounding surfaces should work together to ensure that, should the worst storm happen SuDS help reduce its impact on the environment and reduce flooding as much as technically possible."

He added: "While it's great to see Wales take a legislative stance to SuDS, the reality is that this important strategy should be employed in all new developments across the UK if we are to truly take a holistic, preventative approach to the escalating risk of flooding.

"Aside from the primary benefit of vastly reduced risk, further pros include enhanced sustainability and biodiversity credentials – plus, undoubtedly, amid growing awareness of the flood risk, preventative measures will increasingly be sought by potential buyers."

(CM/MH)