Preparation work for a rainscape wetland area at a nature reserve near Brighton got under way this week.
Rainscapes, also known as Sustainable Drainage Systems or SuDs, are designed to manage surface water, reduce flood risk, improve water quality and boost biodiversity.
The rainscape in Wild Park, expected to be completed this Autumn, will be based around four wildlife-friendly shallow planted basins, which will hold water during heavy rainfall.
Plans also include removing three trees and replacing them with 24 new parkland trees, 8 orchard trees and areas of hazel coppice.
Brighton and Hove City Council’s head of engineering, Andy Westwood, said: ‘The Wild Park Rainscape is a pioneer project in our city, benefiting people, water and nature and showcasing how we can adapt to the impacts of climate change: warmer, wetter winters, hotter, drier summers and increasingly intense storms.
‘By next summer, the wetland area will have blossomed into a beautiful and sustainable space that enhances wildlife, improves water quality, and demonstrates better ways of managing water more sustainably in the environment.’
