Notting Dale & North Kensington SuDS Planter Project
Creating a more flood-resilient future for Notting Dale & North Kensington
Register your interest, share your story, and make a difference!
What is happening in Notting Dale & North Kensington?
Who? Our Rainwater, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and the Great London Authority are teaming up to bring an exciting project to the community.
What? Help tackle surface water flooding by getting involved with this free, community led project designed to 'slow the flow' of rainwater.
How? There are 50 free rainwater capture devices available (like a water butt or rainplanter) for some residents. More details on specifics coming soon.
Get Involved: Express your interest, share your story, and find out more about slowing the flow.
Disclaimer: there are very limited numbers of rainwater capture devices available.
Project Updates
- Completed Installs
- Installations
- In Person Visit
We had a wonderful two weeks installing rainwater capture devices and slowing the flow in Kensington and Chelsea.
Here's what the residents who received them have to say about it!
"I have been meaning to feedback how happy we are with the water butt which makes watering the garden so much easier as well as saving water."
"Absolutely LOVE my rainwater planter! Wasn't too sure at first as its quite big but once planted up it looks glorious and we had so much rain last week Ive been watering all my plants from it! Great big thankyou to you all, its perfect."
"I just wanted to say how very pleased I am with the installation I received! They installers were very kind, considerate and accommodating, and the outcome - pic attached - is wonderful! I can't wait to plant my flowers in the planters!"
Express your interest in capturing rainwater in just a few seconds!
What's on offer...
Depending on availability, your preferences and available space, there are 3 options to choose from!
With all the planters, we will provide them ready for soil and planting at your own discretion. Soil and plants will not be provided.
- 180L City Planter
- 280L Slim Planter
- 300L Nordic
Great for smaller spaces!
Made from high quality stabilised plastic
Simple design
H 985mm X Top Diameter 600mm
32 litre bowl & 180 litre reservoir capacity
~54L for reuse/storage and ~126L for attenuation (the leaky part)
Planter section on top for biodiversity benefits
Colour: Sandstone
Photo Credit: EcoSure
What are this project's goals?
This project has some big goals; and we want you involved every step of the way!
- Choose the best rain capture devices (like water butts or rain planters) to make the most impact to surface water flooding in your area.
- Install up to 50 FREE rain capture devices in Notting Dale and North Kensington homes.
- Monitor the devices to understand their impact, every time it rains.
- Share community stories through a digital hub, raising awareness for these important types of initiatives.
- Improve biodiversity and greenspaces for all to enjoy, which can have mental wellbeing benefits.
- Create a blueprint to inform future community-led flood resilience projects, in your local area, throughout London and even country wide!
Brought to you by...
Why is this project happening?
Notting Dale or North Kensington experienced severe flooding in July 2021, and this project aims to play a part in helping to tackle the impact of surface water flooding.
Climate change will bring more frequent and intense rainfall, increasing the chances of surface water flooding. With more impermeable surfaces (hard surfaces like rooftops, concrete and tarmac), due to urbanisation (growing cities with more people), rainfall needs to be managed more effectively.
What happened in July 2021?
- 76 streets and over 500 properties were affected including homes, businesses, organisations and council buildings like schools and youth centres.
- Mental and physical well-being was impacted, with some unable to return home for over 3 years.
- Hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of damaged was inflicted by flood damage and displacement.
This project works with nature using rainwater capture devices to help slow the flow of rain into drains, reducing the likelihood they will be overwhelmed - a cause of surface water flooding.
Imagine the impact if we all captured 200 litres of water every time it rained!
Sound good so far? Express your interest here.
Ways to get involved!
Help tackle surface water flooding in your community by finding out if your property is eligible for a free raincapture device.
- Express Your Interest
- Share Your Story
- Follow on Social Media
Want to capture the rain?
Find out if you can take part in just a couple of clicks!
Your property may be eligible for a FREE rainwater capture tank, like a water butt or rainplanter.
Find out by signing up on our website.
Please Note: It might be that right now, you cannot have a rainwater tank - we understand that is frustrating, especially if you were one of the 76 streets impacted in 2021.
Unfortunately, numbers are limited and locations very specific - if this changes in the future, we will be in touch.
The more people that express an interest, the more likely it is a similar project could happen again - collective action at work!
How will this help you, and your community?
For you:
- Receive a free rain capture device, like a water butt or rainplanter, if eligible.
- These slow the flow of rainwater, helping to reduce the impact of surface water flooding.
- Rain planters can brighten up your outdoor area with planting space for flowers & herbs
- Some water butts provide access to water, meaning you can use this for your plants, outdoor cleaning and it will save you money on your water bill.
Perhaps you or someone you know was impacted in 2021? Share your story, thoughts and opinions with us.
For your community:
The power of collective action is essential to helping combat the impact of climate change.
- Strategically placed rain capture devices will help slow the flow of rainwater, reducing pressure on local drainage systems - helping to protect your home, your street and community centres.
- Real-time monitoring will provide insights about the impact devices are having, helping us make improvements and understand what's working.
- Share stories, perspectives and views about previous flood events and their imapct. Openly discussing challenges helps raise awareness and may enable projects like this to be rolled out more widely.
Find out if your property is eligible for a free rain capture device here.
Are you on the fence about signing up?
Perhaps you think your property won't be eligible or it sounds complicated. Keep reading to put your mind at ease...
- "I don't have much space" - We prioritise space saving solutions so you can enjoy your outdoor space without interference.
- "I don't own my property" - I'm sure your landlord wouldn't mind a free addition to their property, as well as a reduction in flood risk. It's worth asking! Need a hand with this? Get in touch.
- "I'm not very hand or techy or have the time" - We sort out the installation and logistics with a swift sign-up process.
- "My property doesn't flood" - You don't have to experience direct flooding to make a difference. Catching and slowing rainfall in one location can aid in reducing flooding in another area. PS, by 2050, one in 4 properties will be impacted by flooding.
- "I don't think I'll be eligible" - You may be right, but it's worth two seconds to find out. Also, you may not be eligible now, but you could be in the future, and you'll be first in with availability!
Get involved even if you can't have a rain capture device
If you aren't eligible at the moment, keep reading to find out how you can still get involved.
Share Your Story: We want to hear from you!
Our Digital Community Hub will be sharing stories, experiences and resources relating to flooding, water resources and collective action. If you would like to share your perspective, get in touch.
Find out if you can take part by signing up in just a few clicks.
Collaboration is at the core of this project.
Find out who's involved!
- Your Community
- Our Rainwater
- Great London Authority
- Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea
- Future Neighbourhoods 2030 Programme
Your voice and your story. We want to hear from you. Projects like this aren't possible without community involvement.
FAQs
What is rainwater management?
This is the process of collecting, storing, channeling, and using rainwater in ways that help reduce flooding, whilst treating rainwater as a precious resource. Instead of running freely and overwhelming drains and sewers, we can help control where it goes and how fast it gets there.
Why is rainwater management important?
We can help protect homes, businesses, and streets from flooding by reducing pressure on drainage systems. It enables us to make the most of rainwater, a free, important and sustainable resource essential to sustaining life and our ecosystems.
How will this project help my community?
By installing rainwater tanks, we can capture water before it enters the drains, reducing flood risk, protecting homes, and supporting greener gardens. It also brings neighbours together to take collective action for a safer, more resilient community.
How will this project help reduce surface water flooding?
When rainwater is collected in tanks instead of running directly into drains, it lowers the amount of water entering the sewer network during heavy rain. This helps prevent systems from being overwhelmed, which may reduce flooding on streets and in homes.
Why can't drainage systems just be made bigger or made to handle more water?
Upgrades can be expensive, disruptive and not always practical. Managing rain where it falls is a smarter and importantly a more sustainable way to reduce flood risk and protect communities long-term. Using nature-based solutions means working with nature and often leads to a nicer environment and other benefits like improving biodiversity in comparison to more construction-based methods.
Why am I not eligible for a rain planter, even though I was impacted in 2021?
We understand this might be frustrating if you were impacted by flooding in 2021. Unfortunately, there are a very limited number of devices available in specific locations (as this is where they will make the most impact). It is possible that there will be future projects as awareness grows, we will let you know if your property becomes eligible for a rainplanter in the future.
How can I share my story?
We'd love to hear your experiences and opinion. If you would like to share your story, you can find out more here. You can submit your story or get in touch via the contact us page and Abbi or Dan will arrange the most convenient way of finding out more - whether this is via a series of questions on email or through a phone or Teams call.