SuDS in London - a guide

5.9 Mile End Green Bridge
Location
Mile End Road
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Extent
2000m²
Cost
£75,000
Date
2010
Credits
Design for London
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Mile End Park
muf architecture/art
Tim O’Hare Associates
J & L Gibbons
SuDS components
Green roof/bridge
Tree planting
Soil amelioration
93 5 Case studies
Summary
Reinstatement of soils and planting on
green bridge.
Project description
The bridge provides a key connection
within Mile End Park by spanning the Mile
End Road.
As part of High Street 2012 works, the
existing green bridge was rejuvenated to
incorporate more planting.
The proposals had to consider the
requirements of the A11 below. Traffic
flows on this part of the TfL road network
could not be impeded during the works
or maintenance operations once planting
was established.
Objectives
• Enhance park connectivity
• Increase the impact of the planting from
the road below and the parkland above
• Improve soil infiltration
• Encourage biodiversity
Actions and results
• The soil required de-compacting
and amelioration to increase
its capacity to retain water
• Soil depths were increased by 250mm
to allow for greater root-zone and
better plant establishment
• Trees were planted at a high
density to improve their resilience
to the shallow soil profile
• The central median was removed
to create greater openness
Benefits
• The young plant stock established faster
than previous semi-mature tree planting
• The dense blocks of planting and mix of
species provide increased biodiversity
• The planting had immediate impact due
to its density and educational interest
as an emerging ‘upland’ ecology
• The bridge is more successfully
integrated into the park landscape
• The planting creates a distinctive feature
and is more visible from the A11 below