As the Pitt Review report into last summer’s devastating floods is released, London Wildlife Trust says that nature should be at the heart of dealing with the future risk of flooding.  The Barking Riverside project provides an exemplar of how developments can be built to cope with flood and benefit wildlife at the same time.

London Wildlife Trust welcomes the recommendations in Sir Michael Pitt’s report, particularly to work with natural processes through effective land management and land-use planning to reduce urban flood risk. The Trust believes that working with nature is the best solution for many areas at risk of flooding.

Failure to address surface water drainage in towns and cities and inappropriate development on floodplains, together with the destruction of many wetland sites and canalisation of many stretches of river, means that many of the natural spaces for water in our landscape have been lost. We have created an impermeable landscape and lost the sponge-like qualities of natural areas to soak up heavy rainfall and tidal surges.

Design for Biodiversity: a working example of how it should be done

London Wildlife Trust is an advisor and stakeholder on the Barking Riverside project, one of the largest development sites in London (over 150HA). Over the next 15 to 20 years, more than 10,800 new homes will be built to house a new community of around 25,000. Environmental concerns are being integrated into every aspect of the development, not least by creating a place where everyday needs can be met locally and valuable ecological habitats are preserved.

Sustainable Urban Drainage systems are at the heart of the new development, where surface water drainage methods take account of environmental and amenity issues. They are more sustainable than conventional drainage methods because they can reduce the occurrence of localised flooding by containing and dispersing storm water; protecting or enhancing water quality through bio-remediation; and creating habitat for wildlife and improve the aesthetics of the urban environment.

The targeted aims are to hold 100% of storm water on site, which then can be released, if necessary, in a controlled and slow manner into the Thames via sluices.

50% of flood water held in detention ponds, designed with biodiversity in mind

25% of flood water held in courtyard rain gardens, with plants that can survive submersion

12% of flood water absorbed by car parks with permeable paving

10% of flood water stored in roadside swales (depressions in the ground, like linear marshy, ponds)

2% of flood water absorbed by living roofs on public and private buildings

1% of flood water absorbed by storm water planters (sunken planted roadside troughs)

Find out more about Design For Biodiversity

Find out more about Sustainable Urban Drainage systems

Find out more about the Barking Riverside Project