A9 Dualling Programme: Pitlochry to Killiecrankie

DMRB Stage 3 Environmental Statement

Appendix A13.6: SuDS Design Principles

Appendix A13.6: SuDS Design Principles

1 Introduction
1.1.1 This appendix provides the principles and example designs of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS)
features including wetlands, wet retention ponds and dry detention basins based on the latest good
practice guidance. These design principles would require to be adopted as part of the detailed design
and construction of the proposed scheme.

1.1.2 SuDS features are required throughout the proposed scheme in order to provide attenuation of peak
flows and to treat surface water runoff before it enters watercourses. They are required in a range of
different landscape character types traversed by the proposed scheme including relatively wooded
lower glen and largely open mid glen. Careful consideration must be given to the local landscape
context and topography when designing these features to ensure a good landscape fit. Geo-cellular
storage areas have been incorporated into the design at appropriate locations to increase the water
retention capacity.

1.1.3 The Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA) has published the SuDS
Manual (2015) which sets out the four pillars of SuDS design - water quantity, water quality, amenity
and biodiversity. The SuDS Manual guidance promotes the early consideration of the criteria in the
design process to obtain the best multi-functional outcome. Well implemented SuDS design can have
very positive impact on visual amenity, biodiversity and land value.

1.1.4 The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) and the Wildfowl and
Wetlands Trust (WWT) have recently published new research (2017) assessing the effectiveness of
delivering multifunctional sustainable drainage in England. One of the report findings was that where
SuDS have been delivered, they often miss opportunities to provide multiple benefits beyond the basic
function of control, treatment and attenuation of surface water.

2 SuDS Design Objectives

2.1.1 The following design objectives should guide the detailed design of the SuDS features along the
proposed scheme:
 Maximise multi-functionality.
 Support and protect natural local habitats and species.
 Contribute to habitat connectivity and to the delivery of local biodiversity objectives.
 Create diverse, self-sustaining and resilient eco-systems.
 Create visually attractive landscape features, which respect and are integrated into the surrounding
landscape character and qualities of the A9 corridor.
 Mitigate adverse visual impacts on landscape and visual receptors by using natural characteristics
in design and sensitive methods to mitigate adverse visual and environmental impacts.
 Integrate with surrounding topography through appropriate orientation and shaping, with minimum
cutting and filling and grading out of side slopes.
 The form of drainage features should relate to the meanders of water courses. The detention
basins and retention ponds are to have a varied, naturalistic edge and slopes graded out with
varied slope angles. Straight edges are generally unacceptable; instead varied, naturalistic edges
are to be designed to fit with local topography.
 Achieve naturalistic appearance, except where drainage features are specifically required to fit with
more formal ‘man-made’ local landscape characteristics or provide a formal landscape feature.
 Ensure ‘low key’ design of associated structures such as access paths to minimise visual impact.
 Plant with native marginal and emergent aquatic species and native terrestrial vegetation suitable
to local context to provide wildlife habitat and visual interest.
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DMRB Stage 3 Environmental Statement
Appendix A13.6: SuDS Design Principles

Detention Basins

General Design Requirements

2.1.2 The drainage system should be designed such that the detention basins occupy naturally low lying
areas and where possible perimeter access tracks should be at existing grade or in cutting to avoid a
bunded appearance. Where access tracks and paths are required to be on embankment, the outer
slopes should be graded out to varied slope angles to tie in with the surrounding landform, and where
necessary planted to integrate the slopes into the landscape.

2.1.3 The gradients of the inner slopes should be varied along their length to reflect the naturally occurring
topography of the immediate surroundings. These bank slopes should be no steeper than 1:3 at any
point and for least 50% of the slope plan area should be 1:5 or shallower. Slopes should have varied
microtopography and straight batters should be avoided. The localised compression and loosening of
the soil will also allow a variety of different plant communities to establish. This may require sections of
the SuDS feature’s access track/path to be pulled away from the SuDS to provide sufficient space.
The access track should be surfaced with crushed stone to reduce its visual impact.

2.1.4 The following principles should also be followed:

 temporarily wet areas of the sloping banks to be sown with species rich / wet grassland;
 no tree or shrub planting below maximum water level;
 flatter areas in the base of the basin to be planted with native marginal aquatic species; and

2.1.5 See Figures 1 and 2 below for example designs of a detention basin.

Retention Ponds and Wetlands

General Design Requirements

2.1.6 The drainage system should be designed such that the SuDS retention ponds and wetlands occupy
naturally low lying areas and where possible perimeter access tracks should be at existing grade or in
cutting to avoid a bunded appearance. Where access tracks and paths require to be on embankment
the outer slopes should be graded out to varied slope angles to tie in with the surrounding landform,
and where necessary planted to integrate the slopes into the landscape.

2.1.7 The gradients of the SuDS retention pond/wetland bank slope between the access track/path and the
permanent water level should be varied along their length to reflect the naturally occurring topography
of the immediate surroundings. These bank slopes should be no steeper than 1:3 at any point and for
least 50% of the slope plan area should be 1:5 or shallower. Slopes should have varied
microtopography and straight batters should be avoided. The localised compression and loosening of
the soil will also allow a variety of different plant communities to establish. This may require sections of
the SuDS access track/path to be pulled away from the SuDS pond/wetland to provide sufficient
space. The access track should be surfaced with crushed stone to reduce its visual impact.

2.1.8 The gradients of the slopes below the permanent water level should be no steeper than 1:3 and
ledges and shallows with a permanent water depth of up to 0.3m should be included over no less than
10% of the permanent wet pond/wetland’s surface area.

2.1.9 The preferred maximum water depth of the SuDS pond/wetland should be between 0.6m and 1.2m,
with a maximum permissible depth of 2m.

2.1.10 The permanently wet area of the SuDS retention pond/wetland should have a varied outline with
irregular shaped promontories and embayments to increase the distance over which the water must
travel between the inlet and the outlet, forcing it to flow through areas of emergent vegetation within
shallows thus enhancing the level of treatment, and to achieve loose, flowing shapes particularly in
areas with flatter topography.

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Appendix A13.6: SuDS Design Principles

2.1.11 The SuDS wetlands should include multiple areas of open water separated from each other by
permeable ‘berms’ of low-lying ground to allow water to filter between the open water areas. The
permanently wet areas of the SuDS wetland should have a varied outline with irregular shaped
promontories, embayments and islands to increase the length of the wet margin and the distance over
which the water must travel between the inlet and the outlet, forcing it to flow through areas of
emergent vegetation within shallows thus enhancing the level of treatment, and to achieve loose,
flowing shapes particularly in areas with flatter topography. The SuDS ponds should include a forebay
to trap sediment immediately beneath the inlet occupying an area of approximately 10% of the
permanent pond surface area. The following principles should also be followed:
 Permanently ‘wet’ retention pond water volume to be calculated using the treatment volume
equation for Scotland (SuDS Scottish Working Party, 2009).
 Temporarily wet areas of the sloping banks to be sown with species rich / wet grassland.
 No tree or shrub planting below maximum water level.
 Flatter areas around the permanent water margin to be planted with native marginal aquatic
species (e.g. water plantain, bottle sedge, common spike-rush, meadowsweet, water avens, small
sweet-grass, floating sweet-grass, marsh pennywort, yellow iris, jointed rush, greater bird’s-foot
trefoil, purple-loosestrife, water mint, water forget-me-not, lesser spearwort, water-cress, ragged-
robin and brooklime). Wet grassland species would also be suitable for margins. Typha should be
avoided as it can quickly dominate.
 Include native aquatic, emergent and marginal species (apart from the marginal species mentioned
above, examples of suitable emergent and floating species include bur-reed, white water-lily,
amphibious bistort and broad-leaved pondweed; wetlands to include a higher density of planting.
 Landscape Architect to be included in detailed design team.

2.1.12 See Figures 3 to 6 below for example designs of a SuDS retention pond and a SuDS wetland.

3 Planting Design
3.1.1 Although the retention ponds, wetlands and detention basins are likely to be naturally colonised by
vegetation, it is preferable to ensure a quicker effect for the purpose of visual amenity by planting and
seeding the SuDS feature with species appropriate to the local context. The following principles should
be followed:
 Native plant species/assemblages/communities tolerant of wet and dry conditions are to be used.
 Planting should mimic plant communities that are found within natural systems in the locale
(wetlands and marshy areas) and be of local provenance.
 Planting design is to take naturalistic form to provide visual and ecological enhancement.

4 References
CIWEM and WWT. 2017. A place for SuDS? Assessing the effectiveness of delivering multifunctional
sustainable drainage. Available at: http://www.ciwem.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/A-Place-for-
SuDS.pdf
Landscape Institute (2014). Management and maintenance of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS)
landscapes. Interim Technical Guidance Note 01/2014. Available at
https://www.landscapeinstitute.org/wp-
content/uploads/2015/12/TGN1_14SUDSmanagementMar2014.pdf

SEPA (2017). Regulatory Method (WAT-RM-08) Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS or SUD
Systems) Version: v6.1. Available at http://www.sepa.org.uk/media/219048/wat-rm-08-regulation-of-
sustainable-urban-drainage-systems-suds.pdf

SuDS Scottish Working Party (2009). SuDS for Roads. Available at:
http://www.scotsnet.org.uk/assets/SudsforRoads.pdf

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DMRB Stage 3 Environmental Statement
Appendix A13.6: SuDS Design Principles

Susdrain website. SuDS adoption in Scotland. Available at: http://www.susdrain.org/

UK SuDS Tools website. Available at http://www.uksuds.com/

Woods Ballard, B., Wilson, S., Udale Clarke H., Illman, S., Scott, T., Ashley, R., Kellagher, R. 2015.
The SuDS Manual. CIRIA. Available at
http://www.ciria.org/Resources/Free_publications/SuDS_manual_C753.aspx

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DMRB Stage 3 Environmental Statement
Appendix A13.6: SuDS Design Principles

Figure 1: Detention basin example plan

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 A9 Dualling Programme: Pitlochry to Killiecrankie
DMRB Stage 3 Environmental Statement
Appendix A13.6: SuDS Design Principles

Figure 2: Detention basin example cross-section

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DMRB Stage 3 Environmental Statement
Appendix A13.6: SuDS Design Principles

Figure 3: Retention pond example plan

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DMRB Stage 3 Environmental Statement
Appendix A13.6: SuDS Design Principles

Figure 4: Retention pond forebay example cross-section

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 A9 Dualling Programme: Pitlochry to Killiecrankie
DMRB Stage 3 Environmental Statement
Appendix A13.6: SuDS Design Principles

Figure 5: Wetland example plan

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DMRB Stage 3 Environmental Statement
Appendix A13.6: SuDS Design Principles

Figure 6: Wetland example cross-section

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