Community planting day marks completion of South Ruislip flood relief scheme

The event was organised by the council and attended by Cllr Eddie Lavery, Hillingdon Council's Cabinet Member for Community and Environment and the Mayor of Hillingdon, Cllr Philip Corthorne, along with members of the Woodlarks and Waders volunteer group, South Ruislip Residents' Association and other resident volunteers.  

The river restoration project has been delivered in partnership with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), Crane Valley Partnership, and funded by HS2 and Thames Water, with representatives from these partners also attending on the day.  

The scheme, which began in January this year, is one of the council's climate change initiatives, designed to create a more diverse landscape in the park and help mitigate the impact of future extreme weather events through the creation of two gentle curves with a shallower riverbank along Yeading Brook to help reduce flood risk. 

The brook is prone to flooding after heavy rains, so these measures will help to slow down the river flow and create areas for floodwater to pool, containing it on-site.  

The project has involved five community planting days, part of the council's ongoing drive to involve local residents in climate change initiatives and has resulted in more than 8,000 water-loving plants being planted along the riverbank.  

This includes species such as purple loosestrife and yellow flag, to create a wetland haven alongside wildflower meadows which have already encouraged more and new wildlife species to the site, increasing local biodiversity.   

Spider Park is the local name for the area comprising Sidmouth Drive Recreation Ground, West End Recreation Ground, Dartmouth Road Open Space, and Bridgwater Open Space. 

Cllr Lavery said: "This project is one of the innovative ways we're tackling the climate emergency to help keep residents and their homes safe, but also to create a more sustainable, diverse landscape and we're grateful for the enthusiastic volunteers that have contributed to it.

"Our work here has created a richer ecosystem to support a wider range of wildlife species but also plays a significant role in our strategic work to mitigate against the increasing risk of flooding caused by climate change. 

"We aim to be the greenest borough in London and projects like this deliver on the ambitions of our Strategic Climate Action Plan in delivering meaningful change by working with local communities to futureproof our borough for the next generation." 

Tessa Kershaw, volunteer with the Woodlarks and Waders, said: "We're involved in this because we're local residents who are very proud of our area and keen on keeping it green and full of wildlife. 

"This project has opened up this stream, introduced new wildlife, brought in other community members and it's very sociable and satisfying to do." 

Other flood relief projects currently in progress include the Pinn Meadows Natural Flood Management programme, where areas along the River Pinn susceptible to flooding will be adapted to protect nearby residential properties, by reducing run-off rates and peak flows along the river and Elma's Ditch. 

Find out more about flood and water management projects in Hillingdon at  www.hillingdon.gov.uk/wetland-projects