Policy information sourced from Lambeth Local Plan 2020-2035

EN6: Sustainable drainage systems and water management

Development proposals should:

  • maximise opportunities for restoring river channels, flood flow pathways and floodplains to their natural state and managing surface water run-off above ground and as close to the source as possible to reduce flood risks downstream; and implement sustainable water management through water sensitive urban design (WSUD);
  • provide compensatory storage to ensure that there is no loss in flood storage capacity where flood storage is removed, as set out in the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA);
  • ensure that the layout and design does not have a detrimental impact on floodwater flow routes across the site;
  • demonstrate that there will be a net decrease in both the volume and rate of run-off leaving the site by incorporating sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) in line with the London Plan drainage hierarchy and non-statutory Technical Standards for Sustainable Drainage Systems. Details submitted to the council to demonstrate compliance with this policy should follow the design principles within the SuDS Manual and guidance identified within the council’s SFRA or Local Flood Risk Management Strategy (LFRMS) to maximise amenity and biodiversity benefits and improve the quality of water discharges.
  • seek to improve the water environment in line with the requirements of the European Water Framework Directive 2000 and its associated legislation, and the Thames River Basin Management Plan;
  • minimise water consumption and the pressure on the combined sewer network, through incorporating water efficiency measures including rainwater harvesting, grey-water recycling and other innovative technologies where practical; and
  • demonstrate that the local water supply and public sewerage networks have adequate capacity both on and off-site to serve the development for its lifetime or can be provided; where there is a capacity constraint the council will, where appropriate, apply phasing conditions to any approval to ensure that any necessary infrastructure upgrades are delivered ahead of the occupation of the relevant phase of development.

For more information please see the Local Plan