Case study Guernsey’s high water quality standards

Two high profile projects in Guernsey have used Formpave’s permeable paving and Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS) to help meet the island’s high pollution control and surface water requirements.

SUDS aims to help prevent flooding by replicating natural systems and processes to drain surface water run-off in a controlled way. This is done through collection, storage and cleaning before the water is slowly released back, either into the watercourses or directly into the ground.

It has been used at Les Beaucamps High School and a development of 40 homes on the site of the former Guernsey Grammar school for Boys.

Both schemes also incorporated EcoGranite, which is one of the most sustainable permeable paving options on the market. It contains up to 77 per cent recycled materials and is an environmentally-friendly alternative to the use of freshly quarried granite.

John Lloyd, Formpave’s head of design, said: “Following years of research by Coventry University, our Aquaflow system is the default SUDS specified in Guernsey. The system exceeds the island’s rigorous pollution controls on surface water and also meets local government’s requirements of handling a one in 20 year storm.

“Our aim is to provide a high quality system and solution to suit any requirement. To help with this we offer a comprehensive free design service which includes technical and professional advice, preparation of draft proposals and validation of the clients’ own designs.”

Established in 1989, Formpave is a world-leading authority on permeable paving, and is part of Forterra (formerly Hanson Building Products), one of the top providers of building products in the country.