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Pioneering plans to transform a road junction into a picturesque rain garden that helps to prevent flooding have been given the go-ahead.
Residents have been working with Hammersmith & Fulham Council to design the Kenmont Rain Garden scheme, which will be created in the far north of the borough early next year.
It involves pulling up paving slabs and bollards at the junction of Kenmont Gardens and Ponsard Road to create a pedestrianised area with a permeable surface that lets rain water drain through to recessed planters and underground storage cells. These then allow the water to enter the existing sewer system gradually, meaning sewers are less likely to overflow in times of heavy rain.
Trees, timber benches and new LED street lights will be added, and a shallow oval pool in the middle will be designed to fill with water after the biggest downpours, encouraging children to play.
The rain garden is the first of several Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS) projects planned by the council over the coming year to bring some local relief to London’s overburdened sewers.
Cllr Wesley Harcourt, H&F Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, Environment and Residents’ Services, said: “This fantastic project will create a much-needed green area for residents of College Park to enjoy, while also helping to reduce the chances of local flooding.
“We will closely monitor the effectiveness of this pilot scheme and look forward to working with residents elsewhere to transform other pockets of our borough.”
A consultation was carried out in September and a council team has been working with College Park Residents’ Association on the detail of the scheme. Work is due start at the end of November and will take around three months to complete.
Maureen Clark, Secretary of College Park Residents’ Association, said: “We were very involved in deciding what trees should be planted and choosing the seating and lighting, and the designers seem to have done a really good job.
“For some time now there has been a concrete barrier there to stop traffic which is really quite run down. Given that we have no green space in our area at all, we’re very pleased with this project.”
November 23, 2014
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