Quaggy River

Sutcliffe Park in London is an example of a newly created floodplain which re-opened in 2004.

Stephen McLaren

This was undertaken in order to protect the centre of Lewisham from severe flooding by the River Quaggy.

Previous engineering solutions had led to the river being contained underground in a concrete culvert. The re-development opened up the river again and lowered and shaped the park to create and enhance the ‘natural’ floodplain. The site now includes increased public access, educational opportunities, recreational facilities and habitat planting.

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.

Read the full CABE case study on how and why it was done.

Tags: green infrastructure, public space, water, neighbourhoods