A flood prevention scheme for South London's Quaggy River has brought a buried river back to the surface, with public parks and private gardens serving as floodwater storage areas.
Until 2000, the Quaggy River in Sutcliffe Park, Lewisham, was a hidden waterway buried under eight football pitches, reflecting the past approach taken to alleviate the frequent flooding that occurred in this intensively developed part of south east London. A 1968 flood had caused extensive flooding in Lewisham town centre and more recently 50 properties were flooded by more than a metre of water. It has been estimated this kind of flooding would recur every 10 years and possibly every five. A solution to help the area adapt to frequent flooding was a clear priority.
Storing water in the park
An initial proposal was to ‘channelise’ the river (replacing the existing winding river course with straight artificial cuts) downstream. But this scheme was rejected and alternative solutions sought by studying the whole of the river’s catchment. The Quaggy River flood risk management scheme was the result: a solution that stored water upstream and improved the channel downstream.
The result has brought the river back to the surface and let it return to the route it took through Sutcliffe Park in the 19th century. During periods of high rainfall the park is simply allowed to flood. The park has new lakes and wildflower meadows, paths and viewing platforms. Further flood storage has been created in nearby sports fields. The final stretch of the river has been altered to create more natural meanders. People’s back gardens have even been incorporated into the scheme.
Council collaboration
As a result of strategic collaboration between the London Boroughs of Lewisham and Greenwich, the Environment Agency and the local community, the Quaggy River flood risk management scheme has provided a much-improved park and returned the Quaggy to the surface, creating a valuable asset for both boroughs, protecting 600 homes and businesses and 2,500 people.
