Harrow Council is to make improvements to flood defences to protect residents after receiving £6m worth of funding from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
As housing rates continue to grow in the borough, natural flood defences will be implemented over a six-year period to protect residents and the scheme will see environmental improvements, as well as the enhancement of public spaces.
Harrow Council will implement natural flood protection projects along the River Brent and Silk Stream catchments.
The proposed projects within Harrow include the following sites:
- Stanmore Country Park – flood storage area
- Bentley Priory – flood storage area
- Temple Pond (Stanmore) – increased pond volume/storage
- Chandos Park – flood storage and wetlands area
- Edgware Brook – river restoration
- Sustainable Drainage Solutions (SuDS) at various designated Critical Drainage Areas
In addition to improving flood protection, each project will bring multiple benefits by way of improving water quality, increasing natural habitat and biodiversity, as well as improving public amenity space.
Commenting, Harrow Council’s Environment and Equalities Portfolio Holder, Councillor Varsha Parmar said: “This is very exciting and welcome news. It’s great that it has been recognised that Harrow has one of the fastest housing growth rates in London and will need protection against river flooding.
“In addition, the benefits of this scheme, including boosting biodiversity and public space, as well as improvements to water quality, will mean significant gains for the borough.”
The council said that work on the detailed design will commence in due course and will include stakeholder consultations.
