As established under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFA’s) are now statutory consultees to the planning process on issues of surface water drainage and flood risk on all major planning applications. LPAs also need to ensure that, through the use of planning conditions or planning obligations, there are clear arrangements in place for the lifetime maintenance of SuDS (Sustainable Drainage Systems).

In order to assist LLFA’s and developers in delivering high quality SuDS features, Defra published their Non-Statutory Technical Standards on SuDS in 2015. This government guidance has been supplemented though the publication of further independent guidance such as the CIRIA SuDS Manual (C753) and the Local Authority SuDS Officer Organisation Non-Statutory Technical Standards Practice Guide. Whilst any new development in Shropshire should adhere to the guidance set out in these national documents, it is important that each LLFA also provides guidance on specific local requirements for the design and implementation of SuDS though the planning process. 

To give developers some consistency when dealing with different authorities, Shropshire Council have worked in partnership with eight other LLFA’s in the West Midlands to produce a joint guidance document which sets out shared policies for the design and implementation of SuDS. In addition to the shared policies set out in the document each LLFA has also produced their own appendix setting out bespoke local policies.

Shropshire Council’s Sustainable Drainage Systems Handbook builds on the polices set out in the Local Plan and Local Flood Risk Management Strategy and provides developers with information on the planning process locally, local SuDS design standards, and the LLFA’s requirements for Drainage Strategies supporting both major and minor developments. 

In order to assist the LLFA in assessing planning applications, the handbook includes proformas for both Major and Minor developments which requires the developer to provide evidence that any application meets both National and Local SuDS policy. Completed copies of these documents will be required as part of any application before any application will be validated. Both proformas can be downloaded separately to the guidance documents. 

We have developed this handbook by working with Local Planning Authorities, developers, the Environment Agency, Water Companies and other LLFAs. We are now consulting on the contents and processes set out in this guidance document until Winter 2022. We encourage the submission of comments on the contents of this document. Should you wish to submit comments please email these flood@shropshire.gov.uk. Where possible these will be considered and incorporated onto the final version.