City Deal Project Reduces Flood Risk with Raingardens

Published: 2 February 2021

Attractive raingardens have been created as part of a key Glasgow City Region City Deal project to reduce local flood risk and enhance community greenspace in the south-east of the city.

The new design features on Croftpark Avenue offer a sustainable way of reducing flood risk in the local area and downstream by channelling surface water run-off into areas of vegetation and soil. This slows down the flow of water and provides essential moisture for the plants. Over time, and as the raingardens establish, they will enhance flood resilience, provide a home for biodiversity, aid urban cooling and help to improve air quality

Other drainage improvements delivered by contractor RJ McLeod and project supervisor/design consultant AECOM include work within the former Kings Park golf course to re-direct surface water run-off into a new basin using ditches and sections of the Spittal Burn that now flow on the surface. Excess rainwater is now slowly released from the basin into an area of the burn which flows in a culvert beneath Croftpark Avenue.

The project has also delivered greenspace improvements, with an attractive woodland walkway recently completed on the former Kings Park golf course site, formed through a programme of tree planting and the construction of new path networks linking Croftpark Avenue with Croftside Avenue.

Project contractors have also worked closely with Croftfoot Primary School to construct an outdoor amphitheatre that combines outdoor learning space with an emergency storm water storage facility. A brand new MUGA pitch was also built for the school, as well as the installation of new surface water drainage features.

Glasgow City Region City Deal (funded by both the UK and Scottish Governments) has funded the project through the Metropolitan Glasgow Strategic Drainage Partnership (MGSDP) which is working with partners to deliver a programme of schemes to 'Sustainably Drain Glasgow', targeting areas across the city where rainfall adversely impacts communities.

Both the UK and Scottish Governments are providing the Glasgow City Region local authorities with £500million each in grant funding for the Glasgow City Region City Deal.