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Surface Water & SuDS Design

Specialist sustainable drainage systems designed to satisfy LLFA requirements and adoption standards, first time. From strategy through to approved, adoptable infrastructure.

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Sustainable drainage system design showing water management infrastructure

The Challenge

SuDS Requirements Are Getting More Complex Every Year

Sustainable drainage is no longer a box to tick. It's become one of the most technically demanding and politically sensitive areas of development engineering. Climate change allowances are increasing. Biodiversity net gain requirements are tightening. And every Lead Local Flood Authority has its own interpretation of what "acceptable" looks like.

The result? Drainage strategies that were straightforward five years ago now require specialist knowledge to get through approval. Generalist consultancies struggle to keep pace with the shifting requirements, leading to designs that get returned with queries, rejected outright, or require costly redesign mid-programme.

ALD Design specialises in exactly this. SuDS that satisfy authorities first time, designed by an engineer who knows what LLFA officers and water companies are looking for before they ask.

What We Deliver

Four Pillars of SuDS Excellence

Every drainage design we produce covers these four areas. It's not enough to tick one box; approval depends on getting all four right together.

Strategy & Compliance

Drainage strategies aligned with LLFA requirements and planning conditions
Climate change allowance calculations to current Environment Agency guidance
SuDS management train design following the CIRIA C753 hierarchy
Greenfield runoff rate compliance and betterment where required

Technical Design

Detailed hydraulic modelling using industry-standard software
Attenuation tank and basin sizing with exceedance flow routing
Permeable paving, swale, and bioretention system design
Construction-ready drainage layouts, long sections, and details

Multi-Benefit Delivery

Designs that deliver amenity value alongside drainage function
Biodiversity net gain integration within SuDS features
Water quality treatment trains meeting pollution mitigation indices
Solutions that work commercially while satisfying environmental targets

Authority Engagement

Pre-application engagement with LLFAs and water companies
Technical query responses that resolve issues first time
Section 104 adoption submissions and agreement management
Ongoing support through construction and adoption completion

Our Approach

Why ALD Gets SuDS Approved First Time

The difference isn't just technical ability. It's knowing what each authority is looking for before they tell you. After hundreds of drainage submissions across the UK, we've built deep relationships and a thorough understanding of what different LLFAs, highways teams, and water companies expect.

We anticipate queries before they're raised. Designs are structured to address common authority concerns proactively, not reactively.

You deal with the engineer, not a coordinator. When the LLFA calls with a question, the person who designed your system is the one who answers.

We design for adoption from day one. Every SuDS element is designed with the end goal of adoption, not just planning approval.

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"We've worked with ALD Design Ltd across several development sites and have always found them to be reliable, knowledgeable, and easy to deal with. They consistently deliver high-quality technical input and respond quickly to evolving project needs."

Simon Miller

Seddon Homes

Other Services

Complete civil engineering design capability beyond SuDS.

Discuss Your Drainage Strategy With a Senior Engineer

Send us your site details and planning conditions. You'll get an honest view of what's involved and what it'll cost. You're dealing with the engineer directly.

Start Your Project

07850 032628

ant@alddesign.co.uk