Australia Road's Green Oasis Shortlisted for Award

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Bridget Joyce Square among projects chosen by Institution of Civll Engineers

Bridget Joyce Square, an innovative flood prevention project creating a ‘green oasis’ for residents in the heart of White City has been shortlisted for a prestgious award.

The square in Australia Road was opened last November by Hammersmith & Fulham Council and features special water-retaining basins and permeable paving to reduce flood risk, while improving amenity and biodiversity with a variety of planted trees and shrubs.

It also has an open space for hosting community events.

The landmark scheme, which the council says will serve as a blueprint for more similar projects in the borough, is among 13 projects shortlisted for the Institution of Civil Engineers London Civil Engineering Awards 2016, which recognise engineering excellence in the capital.

The ICE awards are the premier showcase for the top engineering projects from across the capital.

" In Bridget Joyce Square we have created a new space that residents of White City can make their own," says Cllr Wesley Harcourt, H&F Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport and Residents’ Services.

" It is a place where families and children can meet, play or explore and offers much needed respite from the surrounding concrete, so I am delighted that this innovative scheme has been shortlisted for such a prestigious award."

The winners will be announced at a formal awards ceremony in central London on Thursday 26 May.

The square is named after the late Bridget Joyce, a childcare worked who dedicated more than 50 years of her life to help children at the Randolph Beresford Early Years Centre.

The system is designed so that during storms, the maximum amount of rainfall is retained on the site, rather than flowing into the combined sewer system. Rainwater from the school roof and other buildings will be guided via channels into the planted basins and raingardens.

A small ‘balance wall’ winds its way through the plants and trees in the basins to provide a low-maintenance play feature for children and there is also an open piazza-type space for the community to host events, such as the annual W12 Festival.

A smaller SuDS scheme exists in Kenmont Gardens, and the council says there are more planned across the borough.

November 23, 2015