Source: City of Plymouth
Work to transform Trefusis Park into a green solution to nearby flooding issues is set to begin later this year.
The scheme, which was consulted on for a second time in 2024, will see the park become home to a new sustainable drainage system.
As part of the works a seasonal wetland area will be installed to help reduce the risk of flooding to homes and businesses in the local area by safely storing water during heavy rainfall.
Having received funding for the scheme from the Environment Agency, we are working towards appointing a contractor in the near future, with the aim of starting work in in the Spring.
Councillor Tom Briars-Delve, Cabinet Member for the Environment and Climate Change, said: “I’m really pleased that this project is able to progress and that we’ll be able to get spades in the ground in the very near future.
“This project is not just crucial from an aesthetics and nature point of view but it’s also a key natural solution to flooding.
“We see time and again what happens when there is heavy rainfall in this area and I hope that residents and businesses in Lipson Vale will welcome this news.”
The Trefusis Park Flood Relief Scheme has been in development for several years.
It will provide new wildlife-rich habitats, including the planting of new trees and hedgerow, as well as new paths and seating. In addition, a new amenity pond will be created on the site of the old lake at the southern end of the park. A new half-sized basketball court will also be installed.
The scheme is required to alleviate flooding in Lipson Vale, particularly at its junction with Bernice Terrace, which has seen high rainfall cause persistent flooding for many years.
The seasonal wetland basins within the park will store surface water during heavy rainfall, which will then be slowly released back into the drainage system once the rain has passed and the system has capacity again. This will enable the drainage system downstream of the park to cope better and will also mean that roads and pavements will be less likely to close because of flood water.
The scheme will also allow South West Water to carry out work to stop surface water entering the combined foul sewer upstream of the park. This will further reduce the risk of flooding and improve water quality in the River Plym by reducing the number of combined sewer overflow (CSO) spills that occur during heavy rainfall.
Once South West Water’s works have been completed, 147 homes in the Lipson Vale area will be better protected from flooding.
A consultation on the scheme initially took place in November/December 2021 and with the feedback gathered, detailed designs and further environmental plans and surveys were produced. It soon became apparent that to continue with the scheme in its original form, nearly 100 trees would need to be felled, which was clearly at odds with the environmental focus of the project.
As a result, and following advice from a specialist arboriculturist, a revised design was drawn up, which while still requiring the removal of five trees, significantly reduces the amount that need to be felled. A second public consultation on the revised design took place in October 2024.
The five trees that need to be removed are set to be felled in late February 2025.
The Trefusis Park Ponds Project is being delivered by Plymouth City Council in partnership with the Environment Agency and South West Water,
More details about the scheme and ways in which you can share your views can be found at: www.plymouth.gov.uk/trefusisparkfloodreliefscheme