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Memorial Park

South Chingford flood mitigation and wildlife habitat improvement project

Published: 19 November 2021
Filed under: Neighbourhoods

The South Chingford Flood Mitigation and Wildlife Habitat Improvement Project is split over three open spaces in the South Chingford area – Rolls Sports Ground, Memorial Park and Larkswood Playing Field. These projects have been developed to reduce the risk of flooding to people and property. The project will completely remove 64 properties from flood risk due to a storm event which has a 5% chance of occurring each year and will remove 72 properties from a storm event, which has a 1% chance of occurring each year. Another 821 properties will also receive a reduction in flood risk. Over the design life (100 years), the works are predicted to reduce flood risk damage by £5.1 million. To implement the works, the project has been awarded significant funding by the government Flood Defence Grant in Aid programme with supplementary funding from the London Borough of Waltham Forest.

Larkswood Playing Field

In the north west corner of the park, a Bund (a mound of earth planted with wildflowers) approximately 0.8metres in height and a Detention Basin (a lowered area of land designed to retain water in flood events) is proposed to be developed, which combined with the Wetland Basin to be provided at Memorial Park would store over 5000 cubic metres of water in a major storm event. The Bund will store water which flows off the hill, storing and slowly releasing it thereby protecting properties in Larkswood Road (and properties downstream of Memorial Park). Water will only be present in wet periods with the area being predominately dry or damp for the majority of the time. A wildflower meadow, trees and shrub planting are proposed to be developed in this area to improve the amenity and ecological value.

The opportunities which have been identified at this site include:

  • Reduction of flood risk to houses in the surrounding area 
  • A new amenity area, replacing grassland with a new wildflower meadow increasing biodiversity and creating a new community facility

Further details can be found in our Larkswood leaflet (PDF).

Memorial Park

In the western corner of the park, a bund of approximately 0.8 to 1metre in height is proposed to be developed. To increase the flood storage in this location a small wetland will be developed by shallow excavation into the ground to the north east of the bund. In combination, these two features will store, together with the detention basin feature at Larkswood 5000 cubic metres of water in a major storm event. These proposed works will reduce flood risk to properties in Hampton, Burnham, Sinclair and Westward Roads. A wetland is proposed to be created at the lowest point of the excavated area. This wetland will be designed to improve wildlife and water quality in the Ching Brook (where this water ends up). A range of wildlife and amenity features are also being considered including enhanced biodiversity, informal footpaths and play spaces/features. It’s known that the park suffers from waterlogging, however, these works are not designed to resolve this. The program does offer the potential for the impacts of the waterlogging to be reduced should sufficient funding be found in future. It is important to note that flooding to the park cannot be prevented (this would displace the flood water into people’s homes), however, the proposals being developed will help to manage the flooding.

The opportunities that have been identified at this site include:

  • Reduction in flood risk to nearby properties
  • Removal of amenity grassland to create new wildlife habitats including a new wetland created including potential educational and amenity features
  • Incidental play features created to enable interaction with the new habitats

Further details can be found in our Memorial Park leaflet (PDF).

Rolls Sports Ground

In the west corner of the park, two planted Detention Basins (a lowered area of land designed to retain water in flood events) and a Bund (a mound of earth planted with wildflowers) approximately 0.6 to 1.0 metres in height is proposed to be developed.

The opportunities that have been identified at this site include:

  • Reduction of flood risk to houses in the surrounding area
  • The area will be enhanced with new landscaping and planting to improve the amenity and ecological value in the Sports Ground
  • In normal conditions, the detention basins will help to reduce water logging but are not designed to specifically improve drainage
  • The cricket field boundary will not be affected
  • The cricket practise nets will be moved near to the new Multi-Use Games Area
  • The 11 v 11 football pitch will be slightly moved to the east to allow space for the new drainage basin
  • In extreme flood events, flood water will temporally back up onto the cricket and football pitches
  • Water may still sheet over the playing field during

Further details can be found in our Rolls Leaflet (PDF).

Engagement

We held two drop-in sessions in July 2021 in both Larkswood and Memorial Park and one drop-in session in Rolls Sports Ground in March 2022 to provide an opportunity for the local community to talk to the project team and provide feedback.

Download a copy of the engagement analysis report (PDF).

Construction

Construction work for the three scheme areas will commence at different times, which is shown below:

 

Start

Finish

Larkswood

 

 

   Phase L001 Civils and Earthworks

February 2022

April 2022

   Phase L002 Landscaping and Planting

March 2022

March 2023

   Rolls

 

 

      Phase R001a Civils and Earthworks (Southern Area)

April 2022

June 2022

      Phase R001b Civils and Earthworks (Northern Area)

June 2022

August 2022

      Phase R002 Landscaping and Planting

September 2022

March 2023

   Memorial

 

 

      Phase M001 Civils and Earthworks

July 2022

September 2022

      Phase M002 Landscaping and Planting

September 2022

March 2023

The duration of the landscaping and planting phases will take place at various times according to the type of species being planted and their associated planting season within the time spans shown above.

Further construction information will be posted to all properties in the near vicinity of the construction work prior to commencement

For further information please contact: