Available SuDS Measures 

The SuDS Selector focuses on practical measures that can be incorporated into buildings, plots and streets. These include: 

• Rainwater harvesting 

• Green roofs 

• Above-ground attenuation planters 

• Permeable paving 

• Rain gardens 

• Filter strips 

• SuDS-enabled tree pits 

• Swales 

Building Scale SuDS 

Building-scale measures form the start of the SuDS train and should be considered for both houses and apartment buildings. 

Rainwater Harvesting: All buildings provide opportunities to collect rainwater for non-potable uses such as irrigation and communal water systems. Capturing water at source helps reduce runoff and supports the first priority in the SuDS hierarchy: collect and re-use. 

Green Roofs: Green roofs intercept rainfall and release it gradually, reducing peak runoff. They can be used on apartment buildings, ancillary structures, cycle stores and bin stores, while also supporting biodiversity, urban cooling and improved building performance. 

Above-Ground Attenuation Planters: Large planters can provide both drainage and landscape benefits. They use rainfall from roofs and hard surfaces to irrigate planting while slowing surface water flows and contributing to biodiversity. 

Plot Scale SuDS 

Plots provide further opportunities to slow and manage water before it reaches the street network. 

Permeable Paving: Paved areas should be designed to store water within the sub-base and allow it to drain gradually through the SuDS system. 

Rain Gardens: Front gardens and planted areas can be designed to temporarily store and filter rainfall while providing attractive landscaping. 

Filter Strips: Vegetated strips can intercept runoff from paved areas and driveways, slowing water before it enters the wider drainage network. 

SuDS-Enabled Tree Pits: Trees can be designed to contribute directly to surface water management by capturing, storing and filtering runoff within the rooting environment. At plot scale, SuDS-enabled tree pits can be incorporated into front gardens, communal landscapes, parking areas and shared spaces, providing drainage, biodiversity, cooling and placemaking benefits within a single feature.

For apartment developments, communal landscapes, shared spaces and parking areas should maximise opportunities for permeable surfaces, SuDS-enabled tree pits and larger rain gardens. 

Healthy, uncompacted soil is essential to the performance of many SuDS measures. Applicants should consider soil protection from the earliest stages of design and refer to the Soil and Ground Conditions guidance for further information.

Street Scale SuDS 

Street-scale SuDS connect individual buildings and plots into a wider surface water management network.

Typical street-scale SuDS measures include rain gardens, SuDS-enabled tree pits, filter strips, permeable paving and:

Swales: Shallow, planted channels that slow, store and convey surface water through the landscape while providing biodiversity and amenity benefits.

Communal rainwater harvesting systems: Systems that collect and store rainfall from multiple buildings for non-potable uses such as irrigation and toilet flushing, helping to reduce runoff and potable water demand.

Street-scale measures should be considered alongside building-scale and plot-scale SuDS to create a connected SuDS train across the development. The most successful schemes use a range of complementary measures that manage water close to where it falls before conveying it through the wider landscape.

The SuDS Assessment Spreadsheet sets out the scoring and minimum requirements for street-scale SuDS provision. Continue to Step 2 to assess the proposed measures and review the scoring requirements.

Key Principle:

The most successful schemes combine building, plot and street-scale SuDS measures into a connected SuDS train rather than relying on a single drainage feature.