The Central Park Ponds Project aims to transform water from a problem into a resource. The project involves re-landscaping an area of the park to provide a nature-based solution to flooding by using a sustainable drainage system to manage surface water and provide a space for wildlife and people.
As regular park users will know, the Barn Park corner of Central Park is often prone to flooding after sometimes only moderate rainfall. This project will expand the previous inaccessible pond and create two others to form a natural, sustainable urban drainage system.
There will also be a swale – a shallow channel to capture water run-off – to allow nature to help reduce the localised flooding that occurs in this part of the park.
A number of new trees to help contribute to improved air quality and increase biodiversity as well as new vegetated walls planted with wildflower seed mixes will allow for a space for residents to enjoy the new ponds, with opportunities for education and engagement to learn about water and wildlife.
This video explains how it will work:
Ponds Project FAQs
The ponds project uses Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) solutions to reimagine the area around the old pond at Barn Park entrance in Central Park for the benefit of people and nature. The project will reduce flooding, improve access, conserve heritage features and trees, improve amenity, increase biodiversity, be climate change resilient and provide a place to learn about water and wildlife!
Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) draw on natural solutions to manage rainfall. SuDS are great for wildlife, amenity, managing flooding and pollution and are sympathetic to the natural environment. We’ll use SuDS solutions like ponds, swales and tree planting in the Ponds Project.
Ponds are great for carbon storage and for wildlife, so we’re excited to be restoring the old pond and creating two new ones. The ponds are fed by rain water and are lined to ensure they have water in them all year round.
Water will reach the ponds by a number of routes; a new swale (which looks like a dip in the grass) which will run from the old Zoo Field to the existing pond area; stone-lined channels that replace the old drainage channels in the park, but reuse the granite blocks; a cascade feature, which will channel overflows from the sports pitch area. The ponds will be connected by pipes so water balances between the ponds. To prevent the ponds overflowing during storms, an outlet will direct water safely into the woods and away from footpaths.
Yes, we’ve included safe places for you to access the water, although there will be fencing around most of the pond areas to protect wildlife habitat. There will be new viewpoints, signs and seating. Viewpoints by the ponds will have all-weather surfaces. We’ll also make some paths higher at points which currently flood, which will also provide views over the ponds.
Yes, we will need to dig in some areas and sadly we will be cutting down some trees. However, we will be planting 50 new replacement trees and creating new habitats to deliver a gain for nature overall. The ponds and swale have been designed to sit in the landscape, while keeping earthworks to a minimum. We’ll create a new area of planting and low level natural stone retaining walls to form a visual showpiece on the slope down from the football pitches and incorporate wildflower areas and bee bricks to make new homes for nature.
We’ve designed the scheme to be low maintenance and have worked with the Council’s parks service, ecologists, conservation groups and engineers to come up with a long term management plan. Some of the new planting will take time to establish, so we will keep the site temporarily fenced off until planting has taken. However, we think seeing this change over time will be exciting and worth waiting for.
Sadly, the creation of the new ponds isn't as simple as digging a few holes and filling them up with water.
The main fenced off area, between Jubilee Row (leading to the clock tower) and Coronation Avenue (leading to Home Park Stadium) is for the creation of the swale and a new pond. We know it all looks a bit drab at the moment but we promise that in time it will look even better than before.
The sports pitch on the other side of Coronation Avenue is also fenced off. This is so that a third new pond can be put in the corner and the landscape adapted accordingly to ensure that water flows away from the pitch and into the ponds.
Lastly, to minimise our environmental impact, none of the spoil from the project is leaving the site. Instead, it is being spread on Reservoir Field. Here we'll be creating a small natural amphitheatre and sowing an array of wildflower seeds.
Clearly with the park getting busier as the warmer weather arrives, we need to think more about safety on site. So that the work can be completed as soon as possible, Coronation Avenue is closed to pedestrians and cyclists from the bottom of Barn Park corner to the end of Argyle's Harper's Park training ground. This will be a full time closure.
In addition, Jubilee Way, which runs from Barn Park corner to the Clock Tower, will be closed for two weeks from Monday 21 August. Signed diversions will be in place.