So today, I was lucky to be invited to join a panel to talk with the Defra Minister – Steve Reed MP on issues about pollution in our waterways. Given my history with this topic and the BIGGER picture – here was my first question and answer:
Question 1 (with context):
Minister, my first question is about sustainable urban drainage systems – or SuDS
(personally, I have been working on this for a decade)
For the benefit of everyone here:
When developers build housing, they’re required to install systems that manage rainfall on-site. This is meant to prevent flooding and reduce pollution in rivers and streams downstream.
Sir Jon Cunliffe has said that sustainable drainage systems in new developments should not only be mandatory but also built and maintained to a consistent national standard.
We know this would significantly reduce pollution in our waterways.
So, my question is this:
Will the Government deliver this by:
- Commencing Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010,
or - By introducing mandatory SuDS standards another way?
And crucially –
Will you require that developer’s resource local authorities properly to assess, approve, and enforce the ongoing maintenance of these systems?
“Yes – that’s good. I mean yes that will be in the consultation, because it was in the Cunliffe review…
It is the right thing to do…
Developers will be required to make sure that these are place for new developments, particularly for the new towns the government wants to build…
Matt Pennycook the planning minister is keen to see it go to consultation …
We want to see the new towns to be as environmentally sustainable as they can possibly be …
Could we make it mandatory though?
“The intention will be that we make them mandatory, yes.
With the climate change that we’re seeing and the more severe weather events I don’t think there’s any alternative than to do it that way.”
He referenced 1 in 4 homes in the country at risk of flooding by 2050 so we have to manage water….
“We are developing a plan to move to a circular economy that includes water -so we currently flush our waste down the toilet with clean drinking water that’s probably not sustainable forever so you can use grey water instead….”
