Why Drainage Approvals Take So Long And, How to Speed Up S106 & S104 Section Agreements
S106 and S104 drainage agreements shouldn’t take months, but they often do. Developers and engineers face frustrating delays as approvals stall due to complex legal, technical, and compliance requirements. If you've ever had a drainage strategy bounced back for revisions after weeks of waiting, you’re not alone. Rejections can add weeks to your project timeline, delaying construction schedules and inflating costs. The truth? Most delays are avoidable. Understanding why councils reject applications, and how to preempt their concerns, can slash your approval time by up to 50%. Here’s how.
If you’ve ever had a Section 106 or 104 submission rejected, revised, or stuck in endless back-and-forth approvals, you’re not alone. These agreements, essential for connecting new developments to public drainage systems, often become bottlenecks due to:
❌ Inconsistent local authority requirements;
❌ Errors in drainage calculations or network adoption standards;
❌ Prolonged resubmission cycles with water companies and councils.
The good news? These delays are preventable. By using AI-driven compliance checks, standardised submission strategies, and expert engineering oversight, you can cut approval times by up to 50%, keeping projects on schedule and within budget.
In this article, we break down:
✔ The biggest reasons S106 & S104 approvals get delayed;
✔ The common mistakes that trigger rejections;
✔ Proven strategies to streamline your submissions and get faster approvals.
Let’s dive in.
The Real Reasons Drainage Approvals Get Stuck in Limbo
1. Every Council Has Unique & Stringent Requirements
There’s no universal checklist. Every local authority applies different rules, and even small deviations can trigger rejection.
For example, Lincolnshire drainage consultants emphasise that civil engineering Lincolnshire regulations mandate highly specific construction details, if your construction detail specs aren’t aligned with council standards, expect delay.
2. Rejection Loops Due to Avoidable Errors
A missing setting in drainage calculation. An incorrect pipe gradients, manhole sizes and /or depths etc. The wrong styling format. It only takes one minor oversight for your submission to land in the rejection pile.
What happens next?
You correct the issue and resubmit;
The reviewing officer places your application at the bottom of the queue;
You wait weeks (again) for feedback.
Multiply that by several rounds of revisions, and your project could lose months.
3. Resubmission Bottlenecks & Processing Delays
When a submission is rejected, it’s not just about fixing errors, it’s about waiting in line for another review.
With most councils operating on limited reviewing capacity, even a simple correction can set your project back by weeks.
How to Get Faster Approvals (and Cut Approval Times by 50%)
The solution isn’t hoping for the best, it’s engineering certainty into your submission. Here’s how top-tier developers eliminate drainage approval delays:
1. Pre-Check Every Submission Against Local Regulations
Most drainage designs fail due to non-compliance with infrastructure resilience services standards.
Actionable Fix: Use a customised compliance checklist for the exact local authority you're submitting to. This ensures every drawing, calculation, and design spec aligns before submission.
2. Leverage AI to Eliminate Errors Before Submission
Most rejections stem from minor human errors that AI can catch in seconds.
Actionable Fix: AI-powered quality checks scan your drainage design for:
Missing details;
Incorrect flow rates or calculation settings;
Misaligned SUDS integration.
This alone reduces resubmissions by 40%.
3. Use Pre-Approved Drawing Templates
Every council has its preferred submission format, not following it can trigger an instant rejection.
✪ Actionable Fix: Standardised, council-approved templates ensure your submission is formatted exactly how reviewing officers expect it.
4. Identify & Preempt Common Rejection Reasons
The most experienced drainage engineers know what gets rejected, before submitting.
✪Actionable Fix: Reviewing historical rejection trends helps flag weak points before submission, eliminating multiple rounds of revisions.
5. Work With Experts Who Navigate Council Systems Daily
Navigating drainage approvals requires experience, precision, and foresight. The fastest approvals come from teams that understand how councils operate, not just how to design drainage.
How Wagner Engineering Secures Faster Drainage Approvals
At Wagner, we specialise in securing fast-track approvals for drainage and flood risk.
Our AI-driven quality checks reduce drainage resubmissions by up to 50%. Our pre-approved templates align with Local Water Authority Drainage Consultants expectations. Our proactive compliance approach prevents costly project delays.
We’ve streamlined drainage approvals for major infrastructure resilience services, including King’s Cross and Silverstone, delivering faster approvals and up to 15% cost savings.
Tired of Waiting on Drainage Approvals? Let’s Fix That.
If you’re losing time and money on resubmissions and processing delays, let’s talk.
📩 Contact us at contact@wagnerengineering.co.uk
🌐 Visit wagnerengineering.co.uk to learn more
Faster approvals. Fewer delays. No more headaches.
