MD2339 Drain London & the London Sustainable Drainage Action Plan

The Drain London programme was originally set up in 2010 in response to the need to better understand and manage surface water flood risk in London. The project was awarded a £3,200,000 grant from Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The first stages of the programme delivered surface water flood risk mapping and management plans for all 32 London boroughs and the City of London. The programme also delivered detailed studies into 28 areas of high surface water flood risk and went on to deliver a range of pilot demonstration projects showing how sustainable drainage measures can be retrofitted into the urban environment.

The Drain London programme recognised that further and coordinated activity to retrofit Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) was needed to make a significant change to the way that rainwater is managed in London. SuDS help to capture, use, delay the dispersal of, discharge or absorb surface water. Many types of SuDS can be green (green roofs, raingardens, SuDS tree pits, swales, etc.), therefore increasing SuDS across London will allow better management of rainwater and contribute towards the Mayor’s green cover targets. Although there is a preference to promote green SuDS measures there are other non-green SuDS (rainwater harvesting, permeable pavements and attenuation storage tanks) that can provide various benefits which will also be promoted where appropriate.

The London Sustainable Drainage Action Plan (LSDAP) was produced, consulted upon and officially launched in December 2016. The LSDAP looks to promote the retrofitting of SuDS to existing buildings, land and infrastructure and includes 40 actions identified at encouraging this across a wide variety of sectors.

The actions identified within the LSDAP directly contribute towards the delivery of the following London Environment Strategy Objectives:

5.1 – Make more than half of London’s area green by 2050
5.3 - Value London’s Natural Capital as an economic asset and support greater investment in green infrastructure
8.2 - Reduce risks and impacts of flooding in London on people and property and improve water quality in London’s rivers and waterways.

Since 2010 the Drain London programme has been overseen by the Drain London Board consisting of the GLA, Transport for London, the Environment Agency, Thames Water and London Councils. The focus of late has then been on publishing the LSDAP and the recruitment of a project manager to coordinate its delivery. The board has agreed the proposed spend profile included within this MD.

Previous decisions MD455, DD899, DD1250, DD1322 and DD2064 are relevant as these relate to the previous stages of the Drain London programme.

The current balance held in the Environment Drainage reserve for Drain London programme is £381,400 and this decision sets out the proposal for the expenditure of this amount in 2018/19 and 2019/20.

1. 1. All boroughs have surface water management plans (funded through Drain London) that identify the main flood risk areas and the GLA has data on sewer capacity and water quality. This evidence underpins all the LSDAP work and the measures boroughs install. The Drain London programme will continue to deliver actions to improve the understanding and delivery of surface water flood risk management and sustainable drainage, with the allocation of spending to be agreed by the Drain London Board (see para 1.5). Money will be spent on priority areas for surface water flood risk, poor water quality and constrained sewer capacity.
   2. Proposed project activities include:

   3. Description	Date	Policy Links
      Delivery of Standardised Concept Designs for SuDS elements targeted at the transport sector with the identification of materials including specification and method of measurement. This will provide a standard method for design of SuDS features and will accompany the already produced TfL SuDS Guidance to help transport design teams identify opportunities and incorporate more SuDS into the transport network.	Procure: Q2 FY18/19 Delivery: Q4 FY18/19	London Environment Strategy Policies: 5.1.1, 5.3.1, 8.2.3 & 8.4.5 MTS Policies: 8 & 9 London Plan Policies: 5.10, 5.12, 5.13 & 7.3
      Creation of bespoke SuDS training modules for: Transport Sector - TfL and local authority highway departments General – Local Authorities and other stakeholders This will help to enhance the knowledge and understanding of SuDS across London’s Local Authorities and Highway Authorities to enable them to deliver SuDS.	Procure: Q2 FY18/19 Delivery: Q3 FY18/19 – Q4 FY19/20	London Environment Strategy Policies: 5.1.1, 5.3.1, 8.2.3 & 8.4.5 MTS Policies: 8 & 9 London Plan Policies: 5.10, 5.13 & 7.3
      De-paving Trial Events in 2 London Boroughs Engaging residential communities to green London, contributing towards the 50% green cover target.	Delivery: Q3 FY18/19	London Environment Strategy Policies: 5.1.1, 5.2.1, 8.2.3 & 8.4.5 London Plan Policies: 5.10, 5.12 & 5.13
      De-paving Events (National Park City Week) in 12 London Boroughs Engaging residential communities to green London, contributing towards the 50% green cover target.	Delivery: Q2 FY19/20	London Environment Strategy Policies: 5.1.1, 5.2.1, 8.2.3 & 8.4.5 London Plan Policies: 5.10, 5.12 & 5.13
      Production of Sector Based SuDS Guidance Documents (Education, Housing, Health & Retail) These guidance documents will focus on the opportunities that are present within each of the sectors, highlighting the potential benefits and identifying any funding streams available to that sector.	Procure: Q3 FY19/20 Delivery: Q4 FY18/19 – Q4 FY19/20	London Environment Strategy Policies: 5.1.1, 5.2.1, 5.3.1 & 8.2.3 MTS Policies: 8 & 9 London Plan Policies: 5.10, 5.11, 5.12, 5.13 & 7.5
      Delivery of 3 Integrated Water Management Strategies (Isle of Dogs, Thamesmead plus one other, location still to be determined) Review of water infrastructure requirements for water demand, drainage, and flood risk within these Mayoral Opportunity Areas where significant growth is predicted to occur. These studies will help to provide options and costs for integrated water management to influence spatial planning documents.	Procure: Q3 FY18/19 – Q2 FY19/20 Delivery: Q4 FY18/19 – Q4 FY19/20	London Environment Strategy Policies: 8.2.1, 8.2.3, 8.2.4, 8.3.1 & 8.3.2 London Plan Policies: 5.10, 5.13 & 5.14
      SuDS Research & Pilot Projects focused on quantifying benefits and identifying areas to prioritise across London (WQ, Misconnections, etc.) These projects will be delivered in partnership with other relevant stakeholders to ensure efficiency and will provide necessary information to inform/encourage further delivery of SuDS throughout London, focussing on the areas most at risk from surface water flooding, poor water quality and in areas of constrained sewer capacity.	Procure: Q2 FY18/19 – Q3 FY19/20 Delivery: Q4 FY18/19 – Q4 19/20	London Environment Strategy Objectives: 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 8.2, 8.3 & 8.4 MTS Policies: 8 & 9 London Plan Policies: 5.10, 5.11, 5.12, 5.13 & 5.14
      London Flood Awareness Week The GLA will work with community stakeholders and other partners to collectively raise awareness of all forms of flood risk through a “London Flood Awareness Week” campaign. This campaign will specifically target those disadvantaged groups that may be more vulnerable to flooding, with the emphasis on simple and low-cost actions to reduce risk. This campaign will provide coordinated public messaging in London with regards to flooding, and produce resources that can be used beyond the campaign period.	Delivery: Q3 FY18/19 & FY19/20	London Environment Strategy Policies: 8.2.1 MTS Policies: 9 London Plan Policies: 5.12 & 5.13

   4. 1. Cost details are set out in Part 2 to this decision, as to release these details at this stage would prejudice the commercial interests of the GLA.
      2. The SuDS research and pilot projects referenced above will be agreed by the Drain London Board prior to assigning funds. Note that these will always maintain a strong link to the London Environment Strategy’s aims.

Under Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, as a public authority, the Mayor of London must have ‘due regard’ of the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation as well as to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between people who have a protected characteristic and those who do not.

The Drain London programme and LSDAP outlined in this MD are heavily linked into the policies and proposals in the London Environment Strategy which has been informed by a full Integrated Impact Assessment, including a consideration of equalities.

This programme will primarily contribute towards meeting Proposal 8.2.3b (which includes the ambition for 200 hectares of impermeable surface in London to drain to SuDS by 2030), The projects listed in this MD look to maximise their positive impact on all Londoners including for example: reducing the risk of flooding, increasing access to green space, contributing to urban cooling, and reducing the health impact of air quality.

Projects delivered through this programme will continue to engage as many Londoners as possible to help to meet the needs of people sharing protected characteristics under Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010. Grant assessment criteria (de-paving) will aim to deliver projects in deprived wards; engaging people with disabilities; engaging those over 60 and under the ages of 16; engaging with different population groups including those with protected characteristics.

Grant application processes will require a statement about the organisations’ approach to equality and/or the submission of organisations’ equality policies.

Recipients of funding will be required to outline how projects will provide environmental and community benefit. This includes information on the intended beneficiaries. They will be required to advertise their volunteering opportunities via Team London where appropriate.

Key risks and issues

4.1 The Drain London programme is low risk and is fundamentally aimed at encouraging greater uptake of SuDS with a focus on reducing surface water flood risk whilst providing water quality, biodiversity and amenity benefits. The key risks and issues are set out in table below.

Links to Mayoral strategies and priorities

4.2 The Drain London programme and the LSDAP are referred to in the new draft London Plan, the London Environment Strategy and the Mayor’s Transport Strategy.

Impact assessments and consultations

4.3 The actions within the LSDAP form part of the proposals in the London Environment Strategy which has been informed by a full Integrated Impact Assessment. There are no specific impact assessments undertaken for the LSDAP. The LSDAP was subject to a 3-month public consultation exercise over autumn/winter 2015-6, with the majority of responses coming from London boroughs and other organisations with an established interest in drainage issues.

Mayoral approval is sought for expenditure of the remaining £381,400 Drain London Programme Reserve in 2018/19 and 2019/20 to implement the projects described in this MD, which will deliver actions detailed in the London Sustainable Drainage Action Plan (LSDAP). This will take total expenditure on the Drain London programme to £3.2m, exhausting the Drain London Programme Budget.

Detailed breakdown of the expenditure is set out in Part 2 to this decision.

The expected spend for 2018-19 is £156,400 and 2019-20 is £225,000. These amounts will be drawn down from reserves in the respective years.

The foregoing sections of this report indicate that:

(a) the decisions requested of the Mayor concern the exercise of the GLA’s general powers, falling within the GLA’s statutory powers to do such things considered to further or which are facilitative of, conducive or incidental to the promotion of economic development and wealth creation, social development or the promotion of the improvement of the environment in Greater London; and

(b) in formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought officers have complied with the Authority’s related statutory duties to:

- Pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people;
- Consider how the proposals will promote the improvement of health of persons, health inequalities between persons and to contribute towards the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom; and
- Consult with appropriate bodies.

In taking the decisions requested, the Mayor must have due regards to the Public Sector Equality Duty; namely the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010, and to advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic (race, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion) or share it and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it (section 149 of the Equality Act 2010). To this end, the Mayor should have particular regarding to section 3 (above) of this report.

Officers must ensure that they are content that the GLA can comply with any conditions to which the DEFRA funding is subject and should ensure they have due regard to the comments regarding the DEFRA funding in MD455.

To the extent that the GLA intends to award grant funding to third parties in respect of projects that align with the objectives and outcomes detailed above, officers should ensure any funding is distributed fairly, transparently, in accordance with the GLA’s equalities and in manner which affords value for money in accordance with the Contracts and Funding Code.

Officers must also ensure that an appropriate funding agreement is put in place between and executed by the GLA and recipient(s) before any commitment to fund is made.

Any supplies and/or services required must be procured by Transport for London Procurement who will determine the detail of the procurement strategy to be adopted in accordance with the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code.

Officers must ensure that appropriate contract documentation is put in place and executed by the proposed service provider(s) and the GLA before the commencement of the required suppliers/services.

The LSDAP is managed on a full time basis by a GLA officer, funded for 24 months, until July 2019, by the Bazalgette Tunnel Limited company (Tideway). The tasks identified within the LSDAP will be carried out by the project manager with any work that requires external input being procured in accordance with standard GLA procurement procedures.

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