Tees Valley Authorities Local Standards for Sustainable Drainage

This document has been produced by a working group from the Local Authorities of Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees and Darlington Borough Councils.  The Tees Valley Authorities are committed to making our area a place that provides the best possible quality of life for all who live and work here. Making it more sustainable is an important part of supporting this vision and it is therefore implicit that new developments should incorporate sustainability measures that help achieve this goal.

The Floods and Waters Management Act 2010 (FMWA) stipulates that, in designing and implementing SuDS, consideration should be given to ensuring that they:

• reduce damage from flooding;
• improve water quality;
• protect and improve the environment;
• protect health and safety; and
• ensure stability and durability of drainage.

The document forms the local standards for the Local Authorities and, together with the National Standards, strongly promotes the use of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) which help to reduce surface water runoff and mitigate flood risk.  It indicates the minimum standards to ensure a satisfactory scheme is constructed under the FWMA, they are not intended to preclude any requirement for a higher standard that may be deemed necessary. 

 

This document is intended to be used by architects, engineers, planners and developers involved in the preparation of schemes for new development. It is not intended to be a prescriptive document, although it does set certain standards which will normally be required as a condition for new developments.

 

It is further intended that new ideas and approaches to design problems should not be suppressed. Developers and their designers are urged to discuss their ideas with the Local Authority at an early stage in the scheme.

 

Developers will find it helpful to establish at the outset the relevant policy context for any proposed development, as set out in the Local Plan for the area. Similarly, the site may be subject to a development brief, the requirements of which will need to be met.