Proposed site drainage strategy - Planning validation requirements

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Planning document information

Description 

A site drainage strategy provides information on how you will deal with surface and foul water. 

The approach that you propose to take must comply with the requirements of the National Planning Policy Framework, the Environment Agency and local planning policy. 

Guidance 

The assessment report you submit should include an executive summary and be clear, easy to read and jargon free. 

You can find details of the information you need to include in your report in what to include in paragraphs 103 and 109 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). 

If you don’t include any of the information detailed in the NPPF: 

  • we will not validate your application until you provide it 
  • the Lead Local Flood Authority (Essex County Council) may make a recommendation to refuse your application on grounds of insufficient information 

We recommend that you approach a specialist flood surface water consultant to help prepare your report.   

You can find out more information on what you need to include in your report from Essex County Council. 

We recommend you submit a completed Suds checklist with your application. This will help you avoid requests for more information from the Suds team. 

You can get help and advice from our Duty Planner on proposed site drainage strategies and planning applications. 

You can get detailed feedback on your proposal by using our pre-application advice service. 

Personal and confidential statement 

We may publish any information you submit as part of your application. You must tell us if there is any information you do not want us to publish when you submit your application.  

If however, we believe that this information is in the public interest, we reserve the right to publish it.  

We may also decide parts of your submission are not in the public interest and may redact this information. This information may include telephone numbers, email addresses and signatures. 

When you need to submit this information

You must submit a proposed site drainage strategy if your application is for a major development and is for: 

Validation requirements

Required by 

  • National requirement. You can find details of this requirement in section 14 of the National Planning Policy Framework 
  • Local requirement. You can find details of this requirement in: 
    • Local plan policy - LPP74
    • Local plan policy - LPP76
    • Local plan policy - LPP75
    • Local plan policy - LPP63

These policies can be found in the Local Plan 2013 - 2033 document