Context
SuDS are Sustainable (urban) Drainage Systems which micks natural patterns of drainage prior to development.
Lamb Drove is in Cambridgeshire, a relatively low lying county, and consequently flooding is a concern. Lamb Drove was a residential development of 35 affordable houses with the use of SuDS techniques, funded by a European programme called FLOW. The project was completed in 2006 and has since been appraised and has encouraged the use of SuDS within settlements.
Aims of Lamb Drove
- Showcase practical and innovative sustainable water management techniques within a new residential development
- Demonstrate that SuDS are a viable and attractive alternative to more traditional forms of drainage and to deliver practical solutions for new housing areas.
SuDS used:
- Water Butts to collect roof water for garden irrigation
- Permeable paving to allow water to enter porous zones and filter out pollutants
- Green roofs to reduce and treat runoff
- Swales (shallow open channels) to collect all excess water from the site
- Creation of detention basins and wetland in open spaces to slow down the runoff rate and store water for a temporary, short-term basis during extreme events.
- A retention pond for final storage of water before being released to a drainage ditch beyond development site.
The developers adopted concept of management rain, using simple, natural and visible drainage components in series to improve water qualities
A drainage management chain controls run-off incrementally by reducing flow rates and volumes.
Outcomes
- Cost-effective (10% less than conventional pipes)
- Substantial improvement in biodiversity, ecology and subsequent quality of life at Lamb Drove.
- Improved quality of water
Jack Williams Geography 