Sustainable Drainage Systems, also known as SuDS, mimic natural drainage to manage surface water run-off from development. SuDS allow for the collection, storage and treatment of surface water in order to reduce flood risk caused by development and improve water quality. SuDS can also improve landscape amenity and biodiversity.
The Flood and Water Management Act (2010) designates the County Council as the 'Lead Local Flood Authority' in Cambridgeshire. One of the new statutory duties for the Council is to become a SuDS Approving Body (SAB). The Council as a SAB will be responsible for determining SuDS applications for new developments and adopting and maintaining the appropriate SuDS.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has been working on the details for the implementation of the SAB legislation. As yet, it has not announced a date for the commencement of the Council's new duty.
An example of SuDS in Cambridgeshire is the Lamb Drove SuDS Showcase Project in Cambourne. See the link on the left for more details.