Labour Westminster Council is launching a series of feasibility studies to explore fresh and imaginative ways of tackling the risk of surface water flooding.

The floods of 2021 were a stark reminder of how vulnerable our City is to extreme rainfall. Since then, the Council has been rolling out Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) across Westminster. While SuDS will help, they can only go so far in a dense urban environment like ours. That’s why we are now looking at new and innovative ideas.

The studies will explore three areas of potential:

• Re-purposing disused underground spaces, such as old air raid shelters or pedestrian subways, to store storm water during heavy rainfall.
• Working with The Royal Parks to see if rain gardens and reed beds could help filter and slow water before it enters the Serpentine.
• Investigating rainwater harvesting from large roof spaces, starting with council-owned buildings, to reduce the volume of water entering the drainage system.

These ideas are at an early stage, and the studies will test whether they are practical, cost-effective, and capable of delivering meaningful benefits.

Cllr Geoff Barraclough, Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Development, said:

“We know there’s no single fix for flooding in Westminster. That’s why we’re exploring innovative ideas, from re-using forgotten underground spaces to working with partners in The Royal Parks. These studies are about pushing the boundaries and seeing what’s possible, so that we can build a more resilient city for the future.”

 This £200,000 programme of feasibility work is part of Westminster Labour’s commitment to finding creative solutions to the climate challenges our city faces.