What sustainable drainage is

Find out what a Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS) is and what property developers have to include in planning applications for major developments.

What a Sustainable Drainage System is

Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) are systems that:

  • deal with rainwater as close as possible to where it falls
  • store runoff and release it slowly (attenuation)
  • allow water to soak into the ground (infiltration)
  • slowly transport (convey) water on the surface
  • filter out pollutants
  • allow sediments to settle out by controlling the flow of the water

Find out why SuDS are important for our water supply from The Aquifer Partnership.

Watch CIRIA's (Construction Industry Research and Information Association) easy-to-follow video on SuDS below.

Planning application requirements

A major planning application must:

  • include a detailed drainage strategy, which includes arrangements for sustainable drainage
  • refer to the non-statutory technical standards
  • include a maintenance plan which covers the lifetime of the development

These requirements always apply unless otherwise agreed at the pre-application stage.

What a major development is

Residential development 

A major development is:

  • 10 dwellings or more
  • a residential development with a site area of 0.5 hectares or more, where the number of dwellings is not yet known

Non-residential development 

A major development is:

  • a building or buildings where the total floor space will be 1,000 square metres or more
  • a site area of 1 hectare or more, if the floor area is not yet known

Get more advice

The Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA) provides information on the planning, design, construction and maintenance of SuDS. The CIRIA SuDS Manual is free to CIRIA members, sign in to download a copy.

We recommend developers read the manual before they request pre-application advice. In particular the following sections about SuDS:

  • planning and design processes
  • maintenance plans

Download our guide for masterplanning sustainable drainage into developments.

Download our supplementary planning guide for sustainable drainage.

If you have any questions, send an email to sustainabledrainage@brighton-hove.gov.uk.