PROSuDs: Providing Real-world Opportunities for Sustainable Drainage Systems

This is a NERC Green Infrastructure Innovation Grant to work with Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and other partners to establish a standardised Toolkit of valuation techniques and guidance that can be used by property professionals to evaluate Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), particularly in housing developments.

As multi-functional Green Infrastructure, SuDS provide effective drainage for developments combined with a wide range of environmental and societal benefits. There have been many calls for the wider use of SuDS, however only about 40% of new developments in England include SuDS. This is in part due to uncertainties in costing, adoption and valuation, compared to conventional piped drainage systems. The development of an evidence-based tool kit will help address this situation and promote the uptake of high quality SuDS designs that can best deliver multiple benefits, while providing effective drainage and flood protection.