Question: What civil engineering services are needed for a development?
Answer: Civil and infrastructure engineering covers the below-ground and external works that connect a development to its surroundings and make the site function. Typical services include:
- Flood Risk Assessments
- Sustainable drainage (SuDS) design and drainage strategies
- Below-ground foul and surface water drainage design
- Highways access, road and car park design
- Transport assessments and travel plans
- Foul water and utilities capacity assessments
- External levels and earthworks
- Section 38, 104, 106 and 278 agreements
These services are needed from planning stage through detailed design, technical approval and construction.
Question: What civil engineering information is required for planning?
Answer: Local Planning Authorities and their consultees typically require a Flood Risk Assessment, a surface water drainage strategy demonstrating SuDS and appropriate discharge rates, a foul drainage strategy, site access and highways drawings, a Transport Assessment or Statement where relevant and, for larger sites, a utilities statement. The Lead Local Flood Authority, highway authority, Environment Agency and sewerage undertaker are consulted on these documents.
Question: What is a drainage strategy?
Answer: A drainage strategy sets out how surface water and foul water from a development will be managed and discharged. It establishes the existing site drainage, calculates the run-off rates and volumes to be controlled, selects appropriate SuDS features and attenuation, identifies the discharge point in accordance with the drainage hierarchy and demonstrates that the system will operate safely up to the 1 in 100 year event plus climate change. Strategies are required for planning and developed into detailed design for construction.
Question: What is the role of the Lead Local Flood Authority?
Answer: The Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA), usually the county or unitary council, is a statutory consultee on surface water drainage for major planning applications. The LLFA reviews drainage strategies against national and local SuDS standards and can recommend refusal where drainage proposals are inadequate. Early engagement with the LLFA and adherence to their local guidance is key to avoiding delays.
Question: What are Section 38, 104, 106 and 278 agreements?
Answer: These are legal agreements under the Highways Act 1980 and Water Industry Act 1991 that govern the adoption and connection of infrastructure:
- Section 38: adoption of new roads by the highway authority
- Section 278: works to the existing public highway, such as new junctions and access
- Section 104: adoption of new sewers by the sewerage undertaker
- Section 106 (Water Industry Act): connection to the public sewer
Civil engineers prepare the designs and technical submissions required for these agreements.
Question: When should a civil engineer be appointed?
Answer: Civil engineering constraints such as flood risk, drainage capacity, access visibility and utility availability can determine whether a site is viable and how much of it can be developed. Appointing a civil engineer at feasibility stage allows these issues to be identified early and the site layout to be designed accordingly, avoiding costly redesign after planning.
Question: Why choose Syntegra Group for civils and infrastructure?
Answer: Syntegra Group provides civil and infrastructure engineering for residential, commercial, education and mixed-use developments across the UK, from flood risk and drainage strategies for planning through to detailed below-ground drainage, highways and utilities design for construction. Our engineers engage proactively with Lead Local Flood Authorities, highway authorities and sewerage undertakers to secure approvals efficiently.
Working alongside our planning, ecology, landscape and building services teams, we deliver coordinated designs that integrate SuDS, biodiversity and public realm objectives.
