After a summer of heat waves and wildfires, Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) are once more centre stage as the UK’s housing industry faces a deluge of challenges from the threat of autumn and winter flooding. Alex Garrett at Greenbelt discusses.
A report by UK insurance company Aviva claims one in nine new homes is now at risk. The National Flood Forum is so alarmed by the findings it’s urging the Government to take the lead in deciding where new developments are located.
What the report underlines is that, as climate pressures intensify and urban expansion continues, the question of how we defend properties from surface water flooding is no longer a technical footnote but a matter of national resilience.
It also adds weight to the advocacy of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) as an efficient defence mechanism. Once viewed as a niche planning requirement, modern SuDS are, in fact, vital not only for flood defence and mitigation but also environmental protection – and, ultimately, the long-term viability of new developments.
Despite their acknowledged importance, however, the model for SuDS’ adoption is increasingly contested with opinions differing about how they should be delivered.
For more than a decade, policymakers have struggled with how best to integrate SuDS into the built environment. The original vision, where public bodies such as local authorities or water companies would adopt and maintain these assets, has struggled to materialise at scale. Financial constraints, operational complexity and unclear liabilities have combined to create a system that is, at best, inconsistent and, at worst, ineffective.
This has led to some stakeholders to call for Schedule 3 (already in force in Wales) to be implemented; emanating from the UK’s Flood and Water Management Act 2010, this requires new developments to incorporate nature-based drainage to prevent flooding, reduce pressure on sewers and improve water quality.
While the entire industry awaits any substantive legislative decisions, the Local Government Association (LGA) is meanwhile pressing for mandatory adoption frameworks and funding to resource local authorities to take on SuDS assets.
This drive, while understandable, fails to acknowledge local authorities, already under immense fiscal pressure, are ill-equipped to take on the long-term stewardship of complex drainage infrastructure.
Maintenance of SuDS is not a one-off obligation; it requires ongoing inspection, specialist knowledge and proactive as well as responsive intervention. These systems are living assets that demand active management. Without it, their performance deteriorates, undermining both flood mitigation and environmental outcomes.
Water companies, meanwhile, have traditionally focused on below-ground infrastructure and shown limited appetite for adopting above-ground features and distributed systems.
Essentially, the existing regulatory frameworks and proposed Local Authority funding models are not aligned with the realities of SuDS, leaving a structural gap in responsibility. It is within this gap private management has emerged not as a stopgap but as a viable and increasingly necessary solution.
Private management companies, such as Greenbelt Group, offer a model built on accountability, expertise and financial sustainability. Unlike overstretched public bodies, they are structured to deliver long-term asset management, funded through clear and transparent mechanisms such as service charges. This ensures SuDS are not only installed to meet planning requirements but maintained to perform as intended for decades.
Critically, private management also introduces a level of professionalisation that has often been lacking. Specialist firms bring technical expertise, asset monitoring systems and dedicated maintenance regimes. They can adapt quickly to often rapidly changing conditions, whether that be increased rainfall intensity or evolving regulatory standards. In doing so, they help safeguard homeowners, communities and the environment.”
There is also a broader economic argument in favour of private, specialist management. The cost of flood damage to homes, businesses and infrastructure runs into billions each year. This means investing in effective, well-managed SuDS is not merely a compliance exercise; it is a cost-saving measure over the very long term. Private management ensures this investment is protected, reducing the risk of system failure and all of the associated financial and social consequences.
Critics of private management often raise concerns about fairness and transparency, particularly around service charges for residents. These concerns are not without merit. However, they are not insurmountable.
While there are few statistics available on the potential costs and benefits of mandating SuDS, policy and research consultancy Public First published ‘Planning for Water: The Value of High-Quality SuDS’ in October 2025 surveyed tenants and asked if they would pay more for homes with SuDS. Its findings revealed most would pay more, in turn increasing properties’ market value.
“With proper regulation, clear communication of services along with transparent billing, all aligned with robust consumer protections, private management can deliver both accountability and value for money. Indeed, with residents already paying for the upkeep of Public Open Spaces and Green Infrastructure, extending this principle to drainage is a pragmatic and logical step.
What is needed now is not resistance to private involvement but a framework that supports it more effectively. This includes clearer national standards for SuDS design and maintenance, greater consistency in planning requirements and a regulatory environment that ensures the UK’s private operators are all held to the highest standards of performance and transparency.
The alternative – continuing with a fragmented system while pursuing an under-resourced public model – risks leaving critical infrastructure in limbo and homeowners’ properties at risk. As extreme weather events become more frequent, the consequences of inaction will only grow more severe.
Private management is certainly not a panacea. However, it is increasingly the most practical, scalable and resilient path forward for responsible new homes development.
If we want to be serious about building climate-ready communities, we must embrace a model that ensures SuDS are not only created but monitored, maintained and made fit for purpose for many generations to come.
Alex Garrett is Green Space Development Director for the UK’s leading land steward Greenbelt Group.