SuDS in London - a guide

5.6 Islington Town Hall
Location
Upper Street
London Borough of Islington
Extent
1,000m²
Cost
£100,000
Date
2011
Credits
London Borough of Islington
J&L Gibbons
SuDS components
Permeable paving
Large specie tree planting
De-paving
Before
Summary
Transformation of a car park into a
green public space for community and
ceremonial events.
Project description
Islington Town Hall is on Upper Street
which is populated by shops, bars and
cafes and attracts heavy footfall. Before
the redesign, the forecourt of the town
hall was a car park with impermeable
surfaces. This had implications for the
management of stormwater runoff
onto Upper Street’s carriageway and for
combined sewer overflow.
A political incentive to ‘green’ the town
hall forecourt initiated the scheme as part
of Islington’s sustainable agenda.
This was coupled with recognition of
the poor presentation of the building to
the street. These were key factors in the
project gaining support.
It shows how small public realm
interventions can address car parking
issues and storm water runoff, while
transforming a space and improving the
public realm.
Objectives
• Enhance the town hall’s setting
as a key civic location
• Provide a high quality public
realm on Upper Street
• Address car parking issues,
while maintaining a suitable
setting for ceremonial events
• Plant large species trees
for long-term benefit
Actions and results
• Permeable paving surfaces allow water
to seep directly into the sub-base,
thereby redirecting excess and polluted
water away from the combined sewer
• Trees and planting provide canopy
cover, increasing the interception of
rainwater and enhancing biodiversity
• De-paved and planted surfaces
increases attenuation by
maximising areas for infiltration
87 5 Case studies