More SUDS =Fewer Floods
Islington Greens have stepped up their campaign to make Sustainable Urban Drainage Schemes (SUDS) a test of planning approvals in the Borough. Experts now agree that the UK is going to have to get used to patterns of sharp, heavy bursts of rainfall that risk overcharging our sewer network if the rain has nowhere else to go but the drains. The ultimate consequence is sewage backing up in people’s homes and gardens. At the February LBI Council meeting, the Lib Dems refused to commit to a Green request to make all relevant planning approvals conditional on maximising SUDS in the development.
By creating permeable surfaces as part of new developments rather than blindly slapping down concrete and tarmac, more rain water can be absorbed naturally. Grass verges and micro-parks can also act as traffic calmers and generally improve the street landscape. The fact that Islington has the lowest amount of open space per capita in London makesSUDS all the more critical.
