Sustainable urban drainage systems should be an essential prerequisite for water management in all new development. Illman Young were commissioned by West Northants Development Corporation to produce some pragmatic guidelines for developers and planners using sustainable technologies at a neighbourhood scale. The guidelines enable informed decision-making on integrating water, waste and energy infrastructure at a site-wide level.  They explain legislation and regulations; the capital costs, and the phasing of neighbourhood provision and its contribution to sustainable communities.

Two sites demonstrate the potential at different scales. One integrates a single phase development of 50 units into a neighbouring site, and the other shows five phased 50 unit developments as extensions to an existing larger community, with each phase delivered by an independent developer.