Thornville Street Rain Garden: a community SuDS delivery in action
In the heart of St John’s, a small patch of forgotten hardstanding has been transformed into a thriving community rain garden — proof that local ideas, when supported by the right expertise, can reshape urban spaces for the better.
This project began with the residents themselves. The St John’s Society, a local community group in Lewisham, wanted to improve their neighbourhood and saw potential in an underused corner of highway land. Their idea was simple and brilliant: turn it into a rain garden that would both beautify the area and manage stormwater naturally.
Key Outcomes
35m² of rain garden created
250m² hardstanding surfaces captured
Community codesigned scheme Community stewardship of space fostered
When they approached me for technical design support, we worked together to bring their vision to life by developing the design, securing the necessary approvals from Lewisham Council Highways, Network Rail, and Greenscene, and helping to coordinate delivery and future maintenance plans.
“The St John’s Society Greening Team were thrilled to bits to learn that we’d won the ‘Community SuDS’ award at the susdrain SuDS Awards 2024, held in Cardiff yesterday, we were overjoyed to have won in our category. Marcus was instrumental in the rain garden and we received so much help, knowledge and enthusiasm from him over the two years of working on the project.”
St John’s Society
Partners + Collaborators
The St John’s Society
Lewisham Council Highways
Network Rail
Greenscene
Thames Water
Sarah Raven
FM Conway
Alma Tischlerwood
With funding from Thames Water and Lewisham Council, plants donated by Sarah Raven, and construction delivered by FM Conway, the Thornville Street Rain Garden became a reality. Artist Alma Tischlerwood helped add a creative touch, turning the space into a vibrant focal point for the community.
The project convert unnecessary hardstanding surfaces into a community asset, that captures and filters runoff from the surrounding streets while offering a beautiful place for residents to meet, rest, and reconnect with nature.
The transformation didn’t stop when construction finished. Local residents now manage the garden themselves — sharing tasks through a community WhatsApp group to water, weed, replant, and keep the space thriving.
Their success has inspired further conversations about community greening projects across the neighbourhood, showing how small-scale, collaborative interventions can spark lasting change.