Case study of
#00009 Catchment-wide rain gardens and sustainable drainage to cut runoff at source
Barnes, London, United Kingdom
#00005
Implementer
Community BlueScapes (Richmond Council, Barnes Common Ltd., WWT) with Barnes Community Association
Timeline
Oct 1, 2025
Location
Description
A purpose-built rain garden was installed beside the roundabout on Barnes High Street to reduce surface-water flood risk on paved urban areas. It absorbs excess water from storms and heavy rainfall, easing pressure on local drains, while also filtering pollutants and adding green habitat and amenity. The project was delivered by Community BlueScapes — a Defra-funded partnership between Richmond Council, Barnes Common Ltd. and WWT — working with the Barnes Community Association, making it a clear example of a council–NGO–resident partnership delivering a small, retrofittable SuDS installation. Residents welcomed both the flood benefit and the street improvement.
Funding
Lessons learned
- A single rain garden is a visible, replicable demonstration that prompts residents to identify further sites — it seeds demand for a wider network.
- Council–NGO–resident partnership structures let small green-infrastructure projects get funded and delivered without a large municipal program.
- Co-benefits (pollutant filtering, habitat, street amenity) help build community support beyond the flood-risk argument alone.
Documented May 22, 2026