The management of runoff from urban areas is a concern of Somerset's communities and risk management 
authorities that was particularly highlighted following the serious flooding in the county in 2012 and 2013/14. A 20-year Action Plan was developed following this flooding, and the Somerset Rivers Authority (SRA) was set up in 2015, to give Somerset an extra level of flood protection and resilience.
The role of SuDS is reflected as a priority within the Action Plan, and the SRA's Urban Water Management workstream. Somerset Council is the lead partner on SuDS and surface water management, which are at the core of its statutory duties as a Lead Local Flood Authority under the Flood and Water Management Act (2010).
As part of the SRA's Urban Water Management workstream, a Review of sustainable drainage schemes in Somerset was completed in December 2018. It identified that the design of SuDS in Somerset has focused on meeting water quantity requirements, with little delivery of the other benefits of SuDS, meaning many systems remain underground, or simply pipe water to a single deep basin. It also identified issues with construction and long-term maintenance that will affect the performance of these features. There is a need to strengthen the national standards for SuDS to deliver the best SuDS schemes for Somerset.
Leading on from this work, the SRA funded the development of this website by Somerset Council, to set a high standard of development in Somerset that integrates SuDS into a design and delivers multiple benefits that can be maintained for the life of the development.