THE UK'S FIRST CLIMATE CHANGE PUBLIC PARK

Delegates at Water & Environment 2010: CIWEM’s Annual Conference will be some of the first to find out about an innovative project that is bringing the UK its first climate change public park.

A partnership of TRRT, London Borough of Barking, EA, NE, GLA, Design for London and LWT formed to deliver a 45 hectare climate change park in Barking, East London. The work included restoring one kilometre of the Mayes Brook and creating a one hectare floodplain to increase flood water storage and the resilience of the river to floods and droughts, reduce pollution, increase connectivity along the river corridor and increase biodiversity.

The project’s main aim is to provide a sustainable, innovative and inspiring greenspace for local people to enjoy. Park designers hope to make Mayesbrook Park into a shining example of how green spaces can be enhanced to cope with climate change and make it more suitable for wildlife and people. WWF will also use the Mayesbrook restoration as an example of how SUDS can help deliver natural flood management, improved water quality and other benefits in an urban area.

For those interested in finding out more, Robert Oates, Director, Thames Rivers Restoration Trust and Rebecca O'Shea, Conservation Team Leader, Environment Agency will be presenting Mayesbrook - the UK's first climate change adaptation public park at Water & Environment 2010: CIWEM’s Annual Conference on 29th April at the Olympia Conference Centre, London. For more information, go to http://www.ciwem.org/events/annual_conference.