SuDS should be treated as an early design input on development in Edinburgh, not a final drainage calculation. Edinburgh drainage design needs to sit comfortably with Scottish SuDS practice, local flood-risk considerations and the requirements of the relevant drainage authorities. On constrained or sloping sites, levels and exceedance routing can be as important as storage volume.
What matters on a Edinburgh site
- coordination with Scottish Water requirements where a connection or adoption is proposed
- SEPA pollution-prevention expectations and appropriate SuDS treatment
- topography, retaining structures and safe overland flow routes
- whether infiltration is suitable for the geology, groundwater and previous site use
The current drainage framework
In Scotland, SuDS design should be coordinated with the relevant local authority, SEPA and Scottish Water requirements where they apply. The design needs to address runoff quantity, treatment and long-term operation rather than simply provide storage.
Scottish Government National Planning Framework 4 provides the national framework; the project still needs a site-specific strategy and evidence appropriate to the proposed development.
Where infiltration testing fits
If infiltration is being relied upon, testing should be located and designed around the proposed drainage features rather than used as a generic site-wide assumption. Where previous land use or made ground could affect water quality, review the ground-risk information alongside the drainage proposal.
What to send us
Send the site boundary, proposed layout, levels or topographical survey where available, drainage concept, planning or flood-risk comments, and any previous ground investigation. We can then identify whether infiltration testing, drainage support or linked environmental work is needed.
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