Forum topic: A wetlands scheme for Broomfield Park?

Members of the public are being invited to comment on a proposal for Broomfield Park to be the site of the next "rainscape" scheme to be created in Enfield.

The proposals for the Broomfield Park Wetlands Scheme are being developed by the environmental charity Thames21 in conjunction with Enfield Council. Wetlands, rainscapes and sustainable drainage systems have already been created at several sites in the borough, most notably at Firs Farm, on the Palmers Green/Winchmore Hill/Edmonton borders, where the Wetlands are not only alleviating flood risks, reducing pollution of rivers and increasing local biodiversity, but have created a beautiful new recreational area on the doorstep of hundreds of houses and flats.

How rainscapes work

Rainscapes are designed to slow down the flow of streams, reducing flood risks, and to filter impurities out of water on its way along smaller and larger brooks and streams, into the River Lea and eventually into the Thames at Limehouse.  Rainscape projects may be small - for instance, rain gardens or roadside ditches filled with plants that slow down water flow - or large, like the Firs Farm scheme. In many cases they involve bringing back to the surface streams which have been buried in underground pipes for many decades, and slowing down their flow by planting reeds and other types of vegetation.

Flooding and pollution of streams and rivers

Flooding after heavy rain has become a particular problem because so much of the ground is nowadays paved - roads and pavements, front gardens turned into hard standing for cars, etc.  Instead of soaking into the ground rainwater flows into drains, which often become overwhelmed, and drains and sewers overflow into streams, such as the Pymmes Brook and Salmons Brook. This water is often polluted, one reason being that there are many properties where bad plumbing means that foul waste water is being sent into the rainwater system instead of the sewers.  And even if it does go into the sewers, when they are overwhelmed by heavy rain they too overflow into streams and rivers.

Find out more

Thames21's work to clean up local streams is part of its Love the Lea campaign.  You can read about the various projects at www.thames21.org.uk/project/lovethelea, where you can sign up for an email newsletter and find out about volunteering opportunities.