Festival of Place: Bytesize, in association with EGY Design

Join this free online event, 12pm - 1.20pm, 7 December 2026

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Beyond major & minor: A new proportionate framework for SuDS compliance - 

 

A staggering 97 in every 100 planning decisions in England concern developments below the major development threshold. Yet these smaller developments still change how water moves through our towns and cities, and their cumulative impact matters.

National policy expects sustainable drainage wherever development could affect drainage. But what does proportionate compliance look like in practice, and how can it be applied consistently?

EGY Design is proposing a new tiered SuDS compliance framework, designed to be adopted by local authorities using existing powers. The framework offers a practical way to match compliance requirements to the scale and impact of development.

The principle is simple: Compliance should be proportionate to impact.

 

Join us for the launch of this new framework with EGY Design and a panel of practitioners, local authorities and policymakers to discuss what proportionate SuDS compliance should look like in practice. Challenge the thinking and help shape an approach that could change how we manage surface water across developments of every scale.

 

Festival of Place Bytesize is a series of free lunchtime events with fresh takes on existing challenges delivered in 80 minutes. New voices. Broad perspectives. CPD and learning. Evidence-based approaches. Frank insights. Register now for free. 

 

Festival of Place: Bytesize, in association with EGY Design

 

“Small developments rarely make headlines, but collectively they shape how our towns and cities deal with water. Yet too many escape meaningful scrutiny, and the cumulative consequences are too important to ignore."

 

We don’t need more boxes to tick. We need clearer expectations of what development should deliver, and a better way of making sure those expectations translate into meaningful outcomes on the ground."

 

We’re not interested in simply calling for change. We’ve developed something we believe could make a real difference, using powers local authorities already have. This event is about putting that thinking on the table and inviting people to pull it apart. We want people to leave having challenged the idea, contributed to it and helped shape something that could change how we approach sustainable drainage.”

 

- Paul Davis, Co-founder, EGY Design

 

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Register for free for this bytesize event

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What is it? Festival of Place: Bytesize is a series of free 90-minute online learning events that take place throughout the year and feature a deep dive into a single topic. 

 

How does it work? Register to attend for free on our bespoke events platform, Airmeet below. The event is broadcast live and talks are followed by a live Q&A with the audience. 

 

Partner with us Interested in running a Bytesize with us? Get in touch with james@thedeveloper.live to discuss upcoming opportunities