Coppermill Gardens

Urban Rain Gardens

Coppermill Community Gardens is a network of small urban rain gardens in streets around the vicinity of Coppermill Lane and St James’s Park, Walthamstow E17.

In 2018 gardens were installed in the Coppermill Lane area by Waltham Forest Council as part of their Liveable Neighbourhoods Scheme (funded by TfL). The idea is to encourage residents, businesses and visitors to use more sustainable modes of transport in their day-to-day lives. Meaning that together we can reduce congestion, tackle air pollution and improve the health and wellbeing of local people.

This funding was cut following the Covid-19 pandemic however last year the Council secured funding to install further gardens as part of a Government initiative to make space for people during the pandemic.

These rain gardens are designed along the principles of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS). They aim to use natural processes to manage water in the urban environment so that when rain falls, the water enters the beds and slowly soaks away.

By doing this these rain gardens not only help to reduce the impacts of surface water flooding but also provide a home for wildlife. The planted flowers provide a food source to pollinators and other insects and the gardens can link with other green and blue spaces to provide vital wildlife corridors.

The gardens are very beneficial to the residents too. The trees and plants they are home to - and the creatures they support - help to cheer up the grey urban environment, looking after them can do wonderful things for building community spirit, and as climate change kicks in they are an important part of our infrastructure to deal with increasingly extreme weather.

The gardens are cared for by local residents, who look after planting, watering, weeding, removing litter and other tasks to keep them in good condition. The Coppermill Community Gardens was set up to help facilitate this, allowing the local community to provide support, share information and help our neighbourhood build its resilience for the future.