New rain garden for school following CIL funding from National Park

New rain garden for school following CIL funding from National Park

May 17, 2023

Imagine a school playground that offers a fun and engaging space for children and teaches them about the environment and sustainable water management.

That’s exactly what Wallands Primary School and The Aquifer Partnership (TAP) have created with its inspiring rainscape project, thanks to £160,000 of Community Infrastructure Levy funding from the National Park.

The playground in Lewes has been transformed into a vibrant, sustainable, and educational space that now serves as a living classroom for students.

This unique outdoor learning environment combines various sustainable drainage elements, such as rain planters, permeable paving, meadow basins, and wildlife-attracting plants, to create an ecosystem that showcases the beauty and functionality of sustainable practices.

The Aquifer Partnership, which includes the National Park Authority among several partners, is focused on protecting the precious groundwater in the Brighton Chalk Block that supplies drinking water to around 400,000 people.

Aimee Felus, Programme Delivery Manager for TAP, said: “Wallands Primary School rainscape is the first rainscape to be created in Lewes!

“The children were involved through the process, helping right from the outset to design the rainscape, through to planting the final grasses and seeding the wildflower meadow basins. The system is designed to take water from the school roof and use it throughout the playground to water new planters and wildflower areas and to become a positive play feature.

“As the water is held on the school site it reduces run off which is turn reduces flood risk further down the hill. There are so many other benefits too – flourishing wildlife, greening and shading the space, which will be especially important to cool the playground during our increasingly hot summers.”