The city of Cambridge is experiencing significant population growth which is straining existing infrastructure. As a result, Cambridge has developed guidance for implementing sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) on new development projects. The guidance is landscape and design-focused, tailored for Cambridge, and encourages multi-disciplinary teams. It provides clear requirements for developers and promotes good upfront design. A monitoring project of a new residential development in Cambourne showed that the implemented SuDS provided effective stormwater management by attenuating flows and volumes, improving water quality, and creating new habitats.

1. Cambridge City Council
The Cambridge Approach to
SuDS
Simon Bunn – Sustainable
Drainage Engineer

2. Drivers:
Growth
Existing
Infrastructure
Elected
Members
Sustainability

3. 1 NIAB – 1593 homes
2 University – 3000 homes
+ 2000 bed student
accommodation
3 Trumpington Meadows –
1200 homes
4 Glebe Farm – 286
homes
5 Addenbrooks 20:20 –
medical research campus
creating 9000 jobs
6 Clay Farm – 2300 –
homes
7 Bell School – 347 homes
+ 100 bed student
accommodation
8 CB1 – 331 homes + 1250
bed student
accommodation
9 North East Cambridge
East Cambridge?
Orchard Park – 1120

5. What is in the Guide?

6. Landscape and urban design focused

7. Cambridge specific and multi disciplinary

8. What we will adopt and the process

9. Principles of adoption

10. Typical section – Ponds and wetlands

15. On site verification

16. Maintenance costs

17. Adoption checklist

18. Cambridge Design and Adoption Guide –
conclusions:
•Developers appreciate good guidance,
with clear requirements
•Good up front design promoted
•Landscape focused
•Multi-disciplinary teams encouraged

19. SuDS Exemplars:
What can be achieved

20. Cambourne, Cambridgeshire
• New residential development of 35 dwellings
• Two-year monitoring project – Interim results:
– In comparison to the control site the SUDS site shows significant
attenuation in flows and volumes following rainfall events
– The SUDS features act to delay discharge of water from the site
– The SUDS treatment train is acting to improve water quality; this is
illustrated through reductions in concentrations of a variety of
pollutants and other indicators.
– There are significantly higher concentrations of hydrocarbons at the
control site compared to the SUDS site.
– The SUDS features offer environmental benefits through a diverse
range of habitats.

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