A range of flood mitigation systems are being installed across the county with communities in mind, as part of a two-year project between Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and Intact Insurance.
This year’s first rain garden is at Tewkesbury Baptist Church - a pivotal hub for the town, hosting everything from repair cafés to fitness classes. The drainpipe at the front of the building has been diverted into the rain garden – a large wooden planter built from railway sleepers containing 36 pollinator-friendly plants.
These systems, also known as SuDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems), are being installed around Tewkesbury, as part of Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust’s Waterscapes project. This work is possible thanks to Intact Insurance, Waterscape's founding partner, and project partners, the Environment Agency and Gloucestershire County Council.
Tabitha George, Waterscapes project co-ordinator, said “as we have more flash rainfall events and storms, it’s important to slow the rain before it reaches the drains as to not overwhelm them.
“These unique systems reduce surface water flooding by lowering the chances of drains overflowing or bursting, reducing flooding on roads and other well-used areas.”
The raingarden will hold 380 litres of rainwater and in any extreme weather events, any excess water will be piped back into the storm drains slowly, filtered by the special layers of substrate to remove pollutants.
David Hobbs, trustee of Tewkesbury Baptist Church, said: “It has been a privilege to work with the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust in the construction of this rain Garden. The Trust have been very professional in designing, advising, and constructing the garden.
“As a Church we seek to support Eco initiatives that benefit our local community. We believe it will lead to many other such gardens across Tewkesbury creating habitats for wildlife, reducing flooding and cleaning water.”
You can find out more about Stroud and Tewkesbury Waterscapes by visiting gloucestershirewildlifetrust.co.uk/waterscapes.
