Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) are a vital tool for improving places and building our resilience to climate change by helping to reduce surface water flooding.
SuDS are an increasingly important aspect of the design of urban areas and new developments. It is critical that planners, and flood risk practitioners working with the planning system, understand policy and best practice to support the implementation of SuDS through planning.
The Environment Agency and the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) have teamed up with leading experts from the Association of SuDS Authorities (ASA), the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) and the Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA) to develop an e-learning module covering key principles and practical advice for securing high quality SuDS through planning.
The course will help learners understand:
- the rising risk of surface water flooding,
- what SuDS are and how they help manage flood risk,
- how multi-functional SuDS can be secured through development, and
- examples of good practice.
The courses are interactive, free of charge, and can be completed at your own pace. Time spent on these courses can be used to contribute to Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements for professional memberships. They are all available from the e-learning hub developed by the TCPA with support from the Environment Agency.
Register now to complete the course: https://learning.tcpa.org.uk/courses/intro-suds-for-planners
Image: Grey to Green development in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. (Credit: Alastair Johnstone / Climate Visuals). The development is the UKs largest retrofit SuDs, with the planting beds taking rain and surface water back into Sheffield’s rivers. The beds also capture and collect pollutants and stop them from entering the watercourses. The planting contributes to biodiversity and increased tree planting helps with urban cooling in hot weather.
