Realising the Wider Benefits of Sustainable Drainage (SuDS) is a poster that was presented by George Cole as part of the Research and Innovation Showcase at the Building Prosperous Cities event in London on 27th September 2016.

Commissioned by UK Water Industry Research Ltd (UKWIR) Eunomia completed a report that:

  1. Identified and quantified to the extent possible the wider benefits of Sustainable Drainage Schemes (SuDS), including temperature regulation, air quality, biodiversity, pollination, and mental and physical health, and to whom those benefits accrue.
  2. Identified innovative approaches to delivery including the appropriate use of financial mechanisms to implement and maintain SuDS features in the most cost effective manner.

The lessons learnt are more broadly applicable to other green infrastructure features. At a time of increasing strain on public sector budgets there is a strong need to secure both external funding and to ensure funding delivers the greatest possible provision of the relevant eco-system services.

This collaborative project engaged with stakeholders to inform the final recommendations which included how evidence should be presented to investment partners, local residents and third parties. While the initial driver for water and sewerage companies relates to surface water management, the hope is that this report, and the associated guidance will increase the extent to which partnership working on SuDS becomes the norm.

The poster is available free of charge.  Please provide a few details about yourself and one of the team will email you the full report shortly.