Halving the flow

Full planning permission has been granted for a residential development in Bletchley town centre. The scheme transforms two underused sites into a new local landmark and contributes towards the town’s regeneration. Motion proposed that sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) would be essential in managing the surface water runoff for the site. Green roofs, permavoid paving and standard permeable paving were recommended by the team to meet the requirements of Milton Keynes Council.

The Motion drainage strategy proposes a 50 per cent decrease in runoff from the site and provides attenuation volumes up to the one in 100 year event plus climate change. Georges Mikhael, Motion Design Engineer says, “Green podiums and green roofs were drawn into the redevelopment design but weren’t originally intended to be SuDS features and were quite shallow. Motion proposed that they should be made deeper so as to be integrated within the drainage system. Deeper soil and larger planting help create an extra layer of storage and maximise the attenuation potential within the existing scheme design.”

Aesthetics and function
Six new buildings will be arranged around the two podium landscaped gardens. The design reflects the aspiration of Milton Keynes Council to create a modern town centre with a central retail and living quarter. The development will deliver a community space of 112 sqm suitable for a doctor’s surgery or children’s nursery and a variety of local retail and start-up office spaces.

Georges Mikhael adds, “The area is mainly hard-standing with no green space. A key requirement was to produce a feature to stand out and deliver aesthetically. The green podiums on both the buildings have been designed to not only improve the look of the development, but to also encourage biodiversity as well as filtration and storage of surface water in order to form a multi-functioning SuDS chain.”

This article first appeared in the Winter 2017/18 issue of Insight.

Image copyright: Potter Church & Holmes Architects