Monthly Archives: September 2018

Desktop Study – Slough

Desktop Study – Slough

Acting on instruction from a client in Ealing Southwest Environmental Limited have prepared a desktop study fro site in Slough.

The desktop study has been made of the site and this revealed that historically the site was of primarily back garden use. But more recently had been used for other purposes.

As is normally the case SWEL order a comprehensive data set, so as to make a review of the site.

It was established that a Phase 2 Investigation is required, owing to current on site use, which is mixed between storage and vehicle repairs etc. 

The report was turned around in 5 days.

Drainage Report – Cullompton

Drainage Report – Cullompton

Some areas of Cullompton are designated as a critical drainage area. You may have a planning condition which states that:

“As the application site falls within the Cullompton Critical Drainage Area, please submit a Flood risk Assessment”



A flood risk assessment typical is focused on flood risk to the site, when what is required in a Critical Drainage is a Surface Water Drainage Strategy.

The way to deal with most domestic / residential drainage requirement is permeable paves, with added features. Mots consider this an expensive option, but this is due to lack of understanding.

In order to capture run off you must provide a volume of “holding” (an attenuation volume) this usually provided my the spaces between gravels in a soak-away trench.

But why not use these same gravel as a sub-base for permeable paving? You will have to import fill for driveways anyhow. You end up using the aggregate twice for soak-away and for sub-base.

Water from roofs can be fed in to the sub base, and drive water just soaks straight in, avoid the requirement for gullies etc. There are no blockages from leaves.