Myatt's Field South

This scheme is part of Lambeth Council’s Soak Up Lambeth initiative, where the council has partnered with Thames Water Utilities to help reduce flood risk and pollution in the borough. 

This work is needed because when it rains in Lambeth, water from our roofs and paved surfaces enters the same sewer pipe as our toilets, sinks, and washing machines. During heavy storms, rainwater overloads the sewers, causing flooding to those that live downstream. This can also stop local drains from working. 

We are installing rain gardens in St. Lawrence Way and Lord Holland Lane within Myatt's Field South Estate to store the rainwater from the roofs and paved surfaces and then slowly release it back into the sewer. The plans for these are attached below. Please note that the gutter diversions marked on the plans will not be taking place in this round of works. We would ideally like to connect some private gutters to the gardens as shown, but will seek consent from residents and homeowners before progressing.

What is a rain garden?

Rain gardens are a type of sustainable drainage system (SuDS). They are planted areas designed to receive and sustainably manage water from nearby roofs and hard surfaces. The garden stores rainwater on the surface or underground, and then slowly releases it back into the natural ground and/or sewer. This gives the downstream sewer network capacity and time to respond to a storm and avoid flooding. 

While helping to reduce flood risk, rain gardens are also visually attractive, can be easily incorporated into small green spaces close to buildings, support a range of wildlife species, and improve water quality downstream.

The gardens are designed to hold water on the surface only when it is raining, therefore you will rarely see water pooling in the features. 

If you want to know more about rain gardens, we recommend searching for ‘UK Rain Garden Guide’ or visiting www.susdrain.org for in-depth learning on rain gardens and sustainable drainage systems.