The ECC GI team has been working in partnership with the Department of Education, and funding from Anglian Water, to produce features for flood mitigation on eight schools across Essex. We work to incorporate green infrastructure assets, and sustainable drainage features for multifunctional benefits within the school grounds. These benefits range from increasing access to nature and biodiversity connectivity for students, to reducing the flood risk on site using natural flood management. The schools we work with fall in the county's critical drainage zones, and the new assets help to alleviate pressures on the surface water drainage system. They are designed specifically to incorporate natural educational features, and encourage enhanced interactions and learning opportunity for students.
Projects include, but are not limited to: Rain Gardens, Planters, Bug Hotels, SuDS Tree Pits, Tree Planting, Swale, Natural Play Features, and Grass Verges.
South Benfleet School (above) includes (1) SuDS Tree Pit, (2) Planters with educational features, (3) Planters with seating, (4) Information Board, (5) Bug Hotel, (6) Rain Garden
The ECC GI team has also worked with Prettygate School to improve the outdoor environment, which will strengthen the forest school programme and provide more outdoor learning opportunities while also boosting the biodiversity of the school site. This was a joint initiative with support from the Climate Action Challenge Fund and partnership with the EFI, in which 2,158 trees were planted over the course of three days. A wildflower meadow and eight orchard trees were also planted. Followed by a pond with an observation deck. https://www.essex.gov.uk/news/colchester-pupils-planting-project-gets-underway