Dear all,

Defra has opened a consultation on this which has been highlighted by a network member (see email below). GreenSpace will be responding nationally to this and also we're looking to get involved with the guidance development. As always numbers of responses count in government so please take the time to follow the link below and add your comments. I've put here a couple of documents for download (the main ones) although there are many other annexes on the website.

Thanks, Michelle

http://www.defra.gov.uk/consult/2011/12 ... tems-1112/

Original email from network member:


Michelle,
Just before Christmas, the government launched their consultation on the SuDS National Standards, associated with the Flood and Water Management Act. I think that the views of Greenspace and its members would be good to feed back to the consultation. The provision of open space SuDS, and in particular the importance of amenity provision in the hierarchy of principles is given a very low priority, and there is a proposal that developers can be exempted from compliance from the national standards if they can demonstrate that the SuDS will be more expensive than ‘traditional drainage’.

I am still going through the documents myself, but it would be well worth circulating the link to the consultation to your members. This is potentially a great opportunity for compelling green infrastructure in new developments. Responses need to be made by the 13th March 2012. With these consultations it is all about numbers of responses, so the more individuals and organisations which respond, the better.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/consult/2011/12 ... tems-1112/


Thanks,
Paul

Paul Stewart,
Associate
Mayer Brown Limited
Lion House, Oriental Road, Woking, Surrey, GU22 8AR
T: 01483 750 508
DDI: 01483 745 440
F: 01483 750 437
E: pstewart@mayerbrown.co.uk

http://www.mayerbrown.co.uk

Here is the current draft version that I've been working on. Also attached is a response from my colleagues in the North West. I welcome any comments, thanks Michelle

Hi all,

Attached is another response from Yorkshire and Humber Learning and Action Alliance (YHLAA) and their emails below. Many thanks to Roger Nowell at Sheffield CC for his input.

Kind regards, Michelle


Original emails:

Michelle

Find attached response from the YHLAA

Roger

________________________________________
From: Mark Young
Sent: 01 February 2012 12:21
Subject: RE: SUDS consultation - first stab at a YHLAA response

Dear All,

hope you are all still having fun with your consultation responses.

Having received a number of responses, to my previous draft, I have distilled these down into a 'version 2' which attempts to incorporate as many as I could.

Where clear differences of opinion emerged I have tried to reflect this in the revised text (for example on the question of the timing of implementation).

In order to present a response that is not too lengthy, and to avoid our key points being lost amongst very technical points, I may not have incorporated every point that was raised.

Please continue to point these out and make the case for inclusion in a final submission. The debate we have had is perhaps the most valuable aspect of the consultation process since,regrettably, history would suggest that influencing DEFRAs decisions is generally NOT one of the things we can expect to get from our efforts!

Many thanks

Mark

From: Mark Young
Sent: 17 January 2012 16:59
Subject: SUDS consultation - first stab at a YHLAA response

Hi All,

Please find attached my first attempt at distilling the fantastic discussion and debate we held last week. Many thanks to Steph, Howard and Peter for capturing notes form the breakout sessions, which I have used to develop the answers to the formal DEFRA questions.

I am conscious that, in pulling this together, my own perspective on certain aspects may now shine through more than it should in a collective output! (or in fusing the different bits together it might now not be entirely coherent)

So I would really welcome any suggested amendments/corrections/ommissions/retractions/additions/alternative perspectives that people feel strongly about.

Please also copy in the other contributors with your comments, so that we can debate any contentious points collectively (I know this may cause your inbox to fill up even more than usual, but I think that this issue merits the intrusion).

One question we didn't address during the workshop is whether we wish to put forward a representative onto DEFRA's working group. Any volunteers?!

Many thanks for all your input - as ever I learned a great deal and feel much more confident in the responses to the consultation that I will put forward to my elected members.

Mark


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