Two new raingarden planters have been installed in Stand Road Park, Whittington Moor, as part of efforts being made to create habitats for wildlife and slow the drainage process following rainstorms.
The Don Catchment Rivers Trust (DCRT) with support from the Chesterfield Borough Council, led the project to install the rain garden planters, otherwise known as Sustainable Urban Drainage (SuDS) units that are located on the pavilion building.
The planters were installed in August this year by DCRT and the manufacturers BioScapes and are the second set of planters to be installed in Chesterfield in recent months.
Previously, planters were installed on the Pavillion at Holmebrook Valley Park.
Councillor Martin Stone, councillor for climate change, planning and environment, said: “A range of wildlife habitats are integrated into the planters including there being a bee hotel, hoverfly home, plants for pollinators, butterfly hotel, hedgehog house, a deadwood zone, an amphibian refuge and an invertebrate hotel. All of this helps to benefit our environment locally and encourages wildlife to thrive in these spaces.
“The units take rainfall from the roof of the building which waters the plants and is then temporarily held back in a storage tank before slowly being released back into the drain.”
Debbie Coldwell, Natural Flood Management Officer at Don Catchment Rivers Trust said: “We are thrilled to have been able to install a couple of raingarden planters at Stand Road Park which will complement the great work the council and Friends of Stand Road Park Group have put in to the area, improving it for nature and people alike.
“The planters will not only provide more wildlife habitat but will help slow the flow of heavy rainfall into the sewer network which can help reduce the risk of flooding and sewer spills into our rivers. The first planters we installed in Holmebrook Valley Park have gone down a treat with visitors who have commented on them being very special, interesting for all ages, and having a clever watering system.”
Chesterfield Borough Council has funded the raingarden planters at Stand Road Park as part of a pilot project.