The Prime Minister recently referred to the Conservatives as the ‘party of building’.  The projected increase in England’s population to 8.7 million by 2050 will place an unprecedented demand on an already overloaded wastewater system, leading to increased surface water flooding and pollution incidents associated with surcharge from combined sewers.

The WSBF are currently undertaking an inquiry to develop the concept of a Property Resilience Certificate.  In this session we will explore the measures and behaviours that can reduce surface water runoff from a property and how credit should be awarded for the use of SuDS within a certificate.  In order to achieve this, we would like to address the following questions:

• Is the current hierarchy for disposal of surface water within the planning system appropriate?
• How can planning policy be strengthened in England to include mandatory requirements for inclusion of SuDS in all (including minor) development?
• How should developer rights to connect to traditional drainage systems be managed?
• What options are available to the homeowner for retrofit of SuDS from an individual property (such as installation of permeable paving or rainwater harvesting from roofs)?
• How should credits for sustainable disposal of surface water be allocated within a PRC?

This event will be chaired by Baroness McIntosh of Pickering and guest speakers will include:

Alex Davies-Jones MP

Abby Crisostomo, CIWEM SuDS Policy Leadership Group

Sue Illman, Illman Young Landscape Design

Dr. Sim Reaney, Durham University

For information on how to attend this event please contact WSBF Policy Manager, robert.allen [at] policyconnect.org.uk (subject: WSBF%20Roundtable) (Rob Allen.)