On Friday, Cheltenham MP Max Wilkinson visited the site of a newly installed rain garden by Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust (GWT) and its partner organisations.
This state-of-the-art installation forms part of a legacy to help a flood-prone community adapt to the impacts of climate change. Located opposite the Co-op on Salisbury Avenue, in Warden Hill, Cheltenham, it is designed to help householders, tenants, businesses and the wider community manage flood risks relating to climate change.
The gardens are one of several nature-based solutions installed across Cheltenham and Gloucester to reduce flooding and increase biodiversity as part of GWT’s Waterscapes Project. Waterscapes is made possible thanks to the support of founding partner RSA Insurance, an Intact company, with support from Leckhampton and Warden Hill Parish Council for this rain garden.
Max Wilkinson celebrated the rain garden alongside the GWT team and local councilors.
Max Wilkinson said: “"These sorts of hyper local projects, which are dealing with high flows of water in places like Warden Hill, are really important.
“The more that we can do to ensure that we’re doing local things to help nature and to help the climate, I think the more people will understand that we can pull together and actually make a big difference in our local communities."
Lizzie Hall, Community Project Manager, said: “Our outputs at Warden Hill are a great example of sustainable urban drainage and green roofed technology working together to make an impact within a community as they combat increasingly frequent heavy rainfall events.
“This collaborative effort has transformed an ordinary urban space into a vibrant, biodiverse feature, reducing surface water flooding and providing a haven for pollinators and wildlife. The team and I are excited to see the rain gardens develop”
Learn more about the Waterscapes Partnership at Gloucester and Cheltenham Waterscapes | Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust.
To learn more about Rain Gardens see Rain gardens | Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust.
