Online rain garden training by Wendy Allen - see this page and Instagram @wendyallendesigns.
What rainy subjects would you like to cover? Let me know!
If you are a garden/landscape professional, please email info@wendyallendesigns.co.uk to enquire about online rain garden training, CPD, talks, lectures or consultancy.
Useful SuDS Resource Links
Compiled by Wendy Allen 2024/5. These are just a few of the links I’ve found useful. Suggestions only, no responsibility taken for link content or content costs.
Happy reading!
UK Rain Garden Guide for small scale domestic retro-fit rain gardens - free download: www.raingardens.info
Highly recommended for all - two excellent webinars about SuDS by legendary Landscape Architect and Sustainable Drainage expert Sue Ilman, for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (February 2025)
https://youtu.be/BCJK-fZmjs4
https://youtu.be/o6evStvTBYo
or https://www.youtube.com/@HIOWWT
NEW: DEFRA Guidance Published 19 June 2025 National standards for sustainable drainage systems (SuDS). Aimed at new developments not retrofit, but an understanding and application of this guidance is also key to the best outcomes for retrofit SuDS.
NEW Two useful webpages and webinars from CPRE London:
Parking: policies for Local Plans and Local Transport Plans
Information page (including free pdf of presentation): https://www.cprelondon.org.uk/news/car-parking-local-plans/
Recording of 19/06/2025 webinar of above:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JY5bi6ByBs
AND
Greener Streets - residential street design elements for the C21st
See bottom of webpage for the 26/06/2025 webinar recording:
https://www.cprelondon.org.uk/news/residential-streets/ (plus free pdf design handout. A recording of the same webinar is also here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM4se8egcXc)
Slow The Flow Natural Flood Management in Calderdale - inspiring community solutions: https://slowtheflow.net/you-can-slow-the-flow-at-home/
RHS – advice for gardeners: https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardening-for-the-environment/water
CIWEM: some excellent free webinars about the wider water industry www.ciwem.org/events
CIRIA www.ciria.org – UK industry best practice including C753 SuDS Manual, and training for industry professionals. Relevant publications for retrofit include: C768 Guidance on the construction of SuDS, C713 Retrofitting to Manage Surface Water, Using SuDS Close to Buildings, Health and Safety Principles for SuDS RP992, Natural Flood Management Manual, BNG information/guides
Biodiversity net gain. Good practice principles for development. A practical guide (Part A) and Case studies (Part B) (C776F) https://www.ciria.org/ItemDetail?iProductCode=C776F&Category=FREEPUBS
susdrain - www.susdrain.org. An excellent blog post here about how to best navigate the minefield of information on the website: https://www.susdrain.org/community/blog/new-to-suds/
A good place to start with new development SuDS: https://sudsguide.uk/
https://robertbrayassociates.co.uk award-winning landscape architects with excellent portfolio examples and public realm SuDS training
GLA SuDS by Sector Overview Guidance: Schools, Social Housing, Parks, Hospital, Commercial, Retail https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/environment/climate-change/surface-water/suds-sector-guidance
Look up Sheffield’s Grey to Green scheme.
Nature based solutions, also see University of Sheffield’s https://orda.shef.ac.uk/articles/report/Community_Engagement_for_Nature-Based_Solutions/21997478
This Trees and Design Action Group recording has Bob Bray & Sue Ilman speaking about integrating trees and SuDS in urban environments: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMUQaeHa7uQ
Natural Flood Management: https://thefloodhub.co.uk/natural-flood-management-nfm-toolkit/
Guides from other countries are useful inspiration too: especially the US, Copenhagen, Denmark and Melbourne, Australia - rain gardens originated in the 1990s in Portland, Oregon, and this state has a wealth of US-specific guidance on https://extension.oregonstate.edu.