One solution that Haringey has been slow to adopt are SUDS - Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems.
These are now a common feature of parks and open spaces and are starting to appear along the side of main roads, like Green Lanes in Enfield.
Water is drained away from standing pools and appropriate planting used to clean out some of the toxic waste. The ‘rain garden’ at Rectory Gardens in Hornsey is the most obvious one round here.
PMRA want to see much greater investment in this kind of street planning - the proposed new buildout next to the lime trees on Hornsey Park Road is the obvious next opportunity.As the excellent discussion on our Twitter-feed shows the timid approach on the High Road during the local improvements a couple of years ago has been a failure. Haringey Rivers Forum - following the strong lead given by Joyce Rosser at Sustainable Haringey and the campaigning charity Thames 21 - has called on the borough to take the initiative both in seeking investment and in educating the public.
Certainly in Noel Park ward there are plenty of reasons to pursue the matter - as we see just about it every time it rains.
Sometime in the next week or so the work on Mayes Road will near completion. It will be a new benchmark for the look and feel of our neighbourhood and enhance its biodiversity. (photo: Luke 'Duke' Newcombe)
Life on Hornsey Park Road has been plagued with problems including noise, pollution and crumbling pavements, on top of this there appears to be a lack of strategic vision for the future. Council Leader Peray Ahmet and a few of her fellow councillors came to discuss the issues with our representatives.
Eight of us got out before the rain last Saturday. We cut back a lot of growth at the Lavender Garden ready for winter. Most of what we cleared has now gone down for composting. By John Miles
© Parkside Malvern Residents Association