Abstract
Flooding incidences are increasingly prevalent due to climate change, weather variability, building and land use practices. One of the regions to experience recent wide-spread flooding is located in the South West region in England. This region remains prone to flooding since the significant flooding of the Somerset levels during the 2014 storms. But with the growing demand for more housing in the UK and in North Somerset in particular, it is now important to review the current building and development practices for flood resilience.
The current regulations for water management in the built environment remains unclear for both new and existing development. However, this study focusses on the former and explores the potential for, and use of water-sensitive urban design (WSUD) solutions in two new housing schemes in North Somerset, South West England.
This study presents a brief overview of WSUD definitions and strategies, highlighting the corresponding opportunities and barriers to implementation. Then, primary research from documentary review and interviews of property development experts and the local council will be presented. The main drivers for WSUD were found to be led by the local authorities and regulatory bodies such as the Environment Agency. Key barriers include the up-front time and investment required to implement water sensitive design schemes. Also, mentioned were the maintenance cost and the health and safety implications of exposed water bodies in housing developments. The extended abstract concludes with recommendations to encourage better uptake of WSUD in future housing schemes.
The current regulations for water management in the built environment remains unclear for both new and existing development. However, this study focusses on the former and explores the potential for, and use of water-sensitive urban design (WSUD) solutions in two new housing schemes in North Somerset, South West England.
This study presents a brief overview of WSUD definitions and strategies, highlighting the corresponding opportunities and barriers to implementation. Then, primary research from documentary review and interviews of property development experts and the local council will be presented. The main drivers for WSUD were found to be led by the local authorities and regulatory bodies such as the Environment Agency. Key barriers include the up-front time and investment required to implement water sensitive design schemes. Also, mentioned were the maintenance cost and the health and safety implications of exposed water bodies in housing developments. The extended abstract concludes with recommendations to encourage better uptake of WSUD in future housing schemes.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Water Efficiency Conference |
Subtitle of host publication | WatefCon 2016 |
Place of Publication | University of Bath |
Pages | 214 - 217 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Publication status | Published - 9 Sept 2016 |
Keywords
- Water sensitive design
- Flooding
- Resilience
- Housing