Meeting with Severn Trent: SUDS, CCTV and more

The Ruscombe Brook Action Group are apparently the only community group in the Severn Trent region looking to improve their brook with Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS). Three of their senior staff came down from Dudley last Monday to have a meeting in my home about the brook and how best to promote SUDS more...2 hours and a whole packet of choc-chip cookies...

Update on the brook first:

Key issues included: CCTV footage from cameras in pipes running along parallel to the brook is now available: Severn Trent will let us know the latest when results are considered but looks like some regrowth - need to see if regular cutting, relining of pipe or replacement is needed. Plus only 2 homes near Mill Farm have not been checked (due to householders being out) for misconnections of pipes.

Joint working

We had more discussions re a joint RBAG/Severn Trent leaflet to householders. RBAG will put together ideas based on previous proposals and discussion - this is a great opportunity for all to benefit and improve our local brook - more of this in future Blogs.

Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS)

Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems include solutions like reed beds and are hugely beneficial to wildlife, improving the drainage, recharging natural groundwater and generally improving water quality. Indeed the benefits of these systems cannot be underestimated and as discussed in other Blogs are a key way we hope to improve the brook.

I again noted regret that Severn Trent could not fund a SUDS project directly re Ruscombe Brook and updated Severn Trent re other projects and plans along the brook like British Waterways plans to dredge lake (but do nothing at Hamwell Leaze), Stroud District Council's Drainage Officer looking at the possibility of a loose partnership like Bourne project (See 10th June Blog), Stroud Valleys Project to improve biodiversity and walks at Hamwell Leaze and RBAG's plans to outline next step to draw up plans for what we would like to see for the brook.

Our discussion then looked more at how we could encourage more SUDS. Stroud District already has a SUDS policy as part of their Local Plan but OFWAT appear to not recognise SUDS as part of sewage system, Highways authorities are not always enacting best practice and Severn Trent expressed concern that there is an annual 4% increase in hard standing in the region - this is bad for wildlife and bad for flooding. We urgently need to raise awarenss about this issue.

Severn Trent helped me with ideas about how best to proceed to encourage SUDS. I have already had a meeting with the Drainage Officer at Stroud District Council and have just sent off a letter to Ian Pearson MP - the new Minister responsible for SUDS - the whole issue has sadly stalled with the change of ministers...there is an 'Interim Code of Practice for Sustainable Drainage Systems' which came out in July 2004 but this does not seem to have been taken forward further. It must be - and promptly.

I am also writing a submission to the Regional Spatial Strategy public consultation urging that this issue is spelt out more clearly - plus various other ideas in hand....but too late to write more now...time for bed!