New Marylebone Flyover rain gardens are ready for rainfall after children in the Eco Club at nearby Christ Church Bentinck School put the final plants in the ground. The rain gardens are the largest sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) in central London. This project will add new plants to make the local area more pleasant, boost biodiversity, improve surface drainage and make the network more resilient to climate change and flooding.

Located at the busy A5 junction with the Marylebone Flyover, more than 3,500 square metres of rainwater collection area has been installed at the site of a disused subway system, known locally as the Joe Strummer Subway, where the late punk frontman was known to busk and entertain passers-by before he hit fame with The Clash. The ramps and stairs of the disused underpass system, which led to the subway, have been transformed into porous rain gardens, designed to capture approximately 3,500 square metres of storm water run-off and hold around 30,000 gallons of rainwater in total. The gardens are designed to help mitigate London’s increasing risk of extreme weather, including larger storms seen only once in 30 years. They reduce the risk of localised flooding and the number of occasions in which sewer overflows occur.

Image – Marylebone Flyover rain garden – Credit Marble Arch London BID & Michael Pilkington
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On the surface, the planted gardens can be seen on three corners of the road within the Marylebone Flyover underpass and are around 300 square metres when combined, which would fit 10 New Routemaster buses. The gardens have been planted with 11 trees, 95 shrubs, more than 1,100 perennial plants and almost 2,300 bulbs in total. Londoners can spot flowering species like pink geraniums, orange-coloured Kniphofia and blue wood-aster in full bloom, adding colour, life and nature to these urban streets. The plant species have been curated to support pollinating insects when in season and can thrive in local climate and soil conditions as they require minimal maintenance, tolerating both extreme wet and dry conditions.

This Marylebone Flyover rain garden scheme was a joint collaboration between TfL, the Greater London Authority (GLA) and Thames Water, with the Marble Arch London BID committed to fund and run the maintenance work on the gardens. The scheme was part funded by Thames Water and the GLA under the Green Infrastructure Fund programme where £1m was allocated for greening projects on the TfL Road Network. TfL’s recent Business Plan sets out how between now and 2027/28, TfL will invest £6m specifically to improve its understanding of the impacts of climate change, as well as help supplement existing projects to add additional green infrastructure and SuDS.

Image – Marylebone Flyover rain gardens 2 – Credit Marble Arch London BID & Michael Pilkington
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TfL has worked with Westminster City Council to deliver improved pedestrian crossings in the area as part of the Safer Junctions programme. Since public access to the subway system under the Marylebone Flyover was closed, pedestrians can continue to use the safe surface level signal-controlled crossings at the junction. As part of this, TfL extended the pavement outside Edgware Road Underground Station and removed a left turn slip lane to improve conditions for the thousands of people who walk across the junction throughout the day.

Penny Rees, TfL’s Head of Healthy Streets Investment, said: “We are committed to making our network more resilient to climate change in the face of extreme weather conditions. These rain gardens at Marylebone Flyover will not only brighten up the local area that holds a special meaning to the community and fans of Joe Strummer, but also improves the surface drainage system to protect a busy junction from flooding. This welcome addition will increase biodiversity, as well as contribute to the Mayor’s aim to improve our river water quality.”

Mete Coban, Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, said: “This is a great initiative to help reduce flooding in the area, increase biodiversity and provide beautiful new gardens for residents and visitors to enjoy.

“Addressing the important issue of surface water flooding is one of many ways we are working with partners like TfL to make London more climate resilient, creating a fairer, greener city for all.”