Agenda Reports Pack (Public) 15/10/2012, 19.00 - Meetings ...

consider if it was a feasible and a cost effective alternative. It was estimated thatabout 11,172 m 3 of water could be saved from going into the sewerage system if allpark surfaces were permeable.Recommendation Nine: Porous PavingIt is recommended that the Council undertake a feasibility and cost assessment as towhether porous surfaces would be a suitable material to use on (i) highways, (ii)footpaths and (iii) hard standing areas and if the Council deems porous paving afeasible and cost-effective alternative, establish annual targets for replacing existingpaving in line with ongoing regeneration and maintenance work.SUDs: Strategic LevelTABLE 2ESTIMATED BREAKDOWN OF SURFACE AREAS WITHIN THE BOROUGHDESCRIPTION AREA (SQM) % OF BOROUGHRoads and paths 3,460,780 20.2%Railway 1,146,444 6.7%Natural (Green spaces E.g. Parks) 3,173,604 18.5%Building 4,441,832 25.9%Manmade (Likely to be hard standing 1,818,172 10.6%areas)Multiple surface (Back & Front Gardens) 3,032,614 17.7%Unknown (Usually sites under 63,965 0.4%construction)TOTAL FOR BOROUGH 17,137,411 100%2.25. Table 2 provides an estimated breakdown of the surface areas within the borough. Itcan be seen that over 25% of the surface of the borough is covered by buildings, andover 20% by roads and paths and nearly 20% by multiple surfaces, likely to be backand front gardens. Nearly another 20% of the borough is covered by green spaces.The Task Group has made recommendations for how it feels the Council cansignificantly reduce the risk of surface water flooding in these areas. Eachrecommendation should not be considered in isolation, but viewed as a strategicpackage of solutions to mitigate surface water flooding risk.2.26. The Pitt Review noted that in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, aprogramme of financial incentives had been used to encourage the development ofnew or retrofitted green roofs. This scheme has proved successful in encouraginghomeowners to install SUDs 8 and indicates that financial incentives can be effective.During evidence from the Environment Agency the Task Group were told that due tochanges in funding arrangements made in 2011, there was funding available fromthe Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) for surface waterflooding management projects. Additionally, the Environment Agency noted thatsmall schemes were more likely to attract funding. The Environment Agencysuggested that the Council submit a bid to DEFRA for funding a surface water8 G. Lawlor et al, Green Roofs: A Resource Manual for Municipal Policy Makers, 2006- 24 -Page 183