星空传媒

The construction industry is braced for further delays to the introduction of rules to boost the inclusion of flood alleviation measures on developments, amid fears that the government鈥檚 consultation on the plans has done little to resolve key issues blocking the implementation of the rules.

Under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, developers are required to install sustainable urban drainage systems (Suds), which allow more water to seep into the ground rather than flowing into the waste water system.

But four years after the law was passed the regulations to implement the Suds requirements have not yet come into force.

This is partly because many local authorities have not set up the Sustainable Urban Drainage Approval Bodies (SABs), which are meant to approve local Suds schemes, while the issue of who will take responsibility for maintaining the Suds or how ongoing maintenance will be funded is yet to be resolved.

The new regulations had been due to take effect in October 2014 but this was delayed, with the government issuing a fresh consultation on the plans in September.

But now Paul Shaffer, associate at industry body CIRIA, has told 星空传媒 that because the consultation 鈥渄id not give any defi