Surface water drainage strategy

A surface water drainage strategy will outline how you plan to manage onsite water runoff. If you plan to manage this with sustainable or natural elements, you can include a sustainable drainage strategy as part of this statement, and within the larger flood risk assessment. 

Requirements

A surface water drainage strategy is required for:

1. Major developments
2. Developments subject to a requirement for sustainable drainage solutions to be provided, as set out in a ‘made’ Neighbourhood Plan
3. Minor development within an area liable to flood from all sources of flooding including surface water, ground water or flood zones 2 and 3 as shown on the online Planning Map.
4. Minor development that is likely to increase flood risk locally

Not required for householder development.

Details should be submitted to demonstrate:

• how all surface water affects a site and the surrounding area
• how water behaves on a site, such as surface water runoff rate, flow pathways, and infiltration potential (the likelihood of water being soaked into the ground).
• what effect the development will have on the above issues
• the measures proposed so that runoff rates meet the requirements for the site set by national and local planning policy

Surface water drainage strategies are based on the following policy guidelines: 

• National Planning Policy Framework - sections 14 and 15
• Planning Practice Guidance on Flood Risk and Coastal Change
• North Somerset Core Strategy – policy CS3
• Sites and Policies Plan Part 1 – Development Management Policies - policy DM1
• Weston town centre regeneration area - supplementary planning document