In partnership with the Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA), and on behalf of English Heritage, Place Services at Essex County Council have been commissioned to prepare national guidance on ‘SuDS and the Historic Environment.’

The overall aim of the project is to research, compile and produce national guidance on sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) and the historic environment, to enable the delivery of good practice and to inspire professional practitioners across a range of environmental disciplines. The guidance will serve to reduce detrimental impacts on the historic environment, as a result of engineering, urban and landscape design responses to problems of surface water run-off and flooding, by helping to ensure the heritage dimension is included in SuDS decision making and design. It will also help identify opportunities where the implementation and operation of SuDS can bring benefits to the historic environment.

The survey runs until the 6^th June. The final guidance is due to be completed by April 2015, when it will be published alongside CIRIA’s revised SuDS Manual.

As a critical step in developing the guidance we are seeking the opinions of future end-users via a questionnaire, which is available at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/26CBJ9C