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Bryony Road

A planned residential site, Bryony Road in Hamilton near Leicester was one of several Taylor Wimpey schemes on which the housebuilder wished to implement sustainable drainage as part of their development masterplans. In addition, Leicestershire County Council were also promoting the use of SuDS in new development.

Illman Young were commissioned to address the integration of soft SuDS into the existing masterplan. The existing engineering-led SuDS proposals were reviewed and revised so that they related better to the existing landscapes and particularly the mature existing hedgerows which were required to be retained by the District Council.

Extensive liaison was required with both the district and county councils to gain agreement and ultimately planning consent.

• Three main basins were designed to hold the capacity of each of three catchment zones on site, with each being connected to swales running through the housing area

• Orientation of swales is downslope rather than traversing the gradient which meant regular check dams were used to slow the water and add additional capacity

• One of the basins was designed with a play area (NEAP) in its base. The levels were raised slightly so that it would not flood in all but extreme events with the sides of the basins used to further enhance its play value

• Extensive planting scheme developed including buffer to housing, native planting to boundaries, formal trees and ornamental shrubs to the open spaces, and a range of wetland species to the SuDS components