Work has started on three Ruislip flood schemes at Park Wood, Pinn Meadows and Bessingby Park, all due to finish by December. What each one does.

Work has begun on three flood schemes in Ruislip, about four miles north-east of Uxbridge. They aim to cut the flood risk to homes near the River Pinn and Bessingby Park, and all three are due to finish by December.

Hillingdon Council announced the work on Tuesday 6 October (council news). Most of it copies nature rather than pouring concrete. Fallen-tree style dams, new ponds and a restored ditch hold water back after heavy rain and let it drain away slowly.

The three schemes at a glance

Site What is being built Due to finish Paid for by
Park Wood Five leaky dams, a new pond and other woodland work Later in October Thames Regional Flood and Coastal Committee Natural Flood Management Fund, HS2 Community and Environment Fund
Pinn Meadows Elma’s Ditch restored and the groundwater pond enlarged December Defra’s Natural Flood Management Fund
Bessingby Park Storage basins deepened and widened, plus a protective bund November The council’s Carbon Offset Fund

The details come from the council’s announcement and its flood resilience project pages.

Park Wood: more leaky dams in the nature reserve

Park Wood is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a national nature reserve. It already has more than 40 leaky dams, built between 2018 and 2021 as one of four Defra pilot schemes (Park Wood project).

Leaky dams mimic the natural blockages made by fallen trees and branches. The council says they slow the flow of water in heavy rain, reduce soil erosion and improve water quality downstream. This second phase adds:

  • five more leaky dams
  • a new pond
  • other work to help the wood hold more water
  • better footpaths, to make the wood easier to walk through

The council says the scheme protects homes downstream, including on Park Avenue and Broadwood Avenue. Its project page gives the works dates as 2 September to 9 October. Its 6 October announcement says the work is now expected to finish later this month.

Pinn Meadows: a more natural ditch and a bigger pond

The existing groundwater pond at Pinn Meadows, Ruislip, edged with reeds and a timber fence, with trees and open grass behind
The groundwater pond at Pinn Meadows, which the scheme will enlarge. Photo: supplied by Hillingdon Council.

The second scheme protects homes and businesses in North Ruislip (Pinn Meadows project). The works, from early October to early December, will:

  • restore Elma’s Ditch to a more natural channel, slowing water into the River Pinn
  • extend the groundwater pond into a larger basin for flood water
  • improve the outfall pipes so the ditches and basins drain in dry spells
  • reinstate the existing flood defence bund around the meadows

The council says the Park Wood and Pinn Meadows work is meant to act together along the River Pinn corridor.

Bessingby Park: bigger basins after residents’ feedback

A shallow flood water storage basin holding water along the edge of the playing field at Bessingby Park, Ruislip, with goalposts behind
One of the storage basins the council built at Bessingby Park in 2022. Photo: supplied by Hillingdon Council.

The council built two flood water storage basins in Bessingby Park in 2022. It says it is improving them “following feedback from local residents” (Bessingby Park project).

From early October to early November, contractors will:

  • deepen and widen the basins where underground services allow
  • use the dug-out soil to build a flood bund along the park’s southern boundary
  • restore a low section of riverbank where flooding has been reported
  • extend the bund across the park entrance to close a gap
  • add gently sloping paths so the park stays accessible

The announcement says the work is funded through the council’s Carbon Offset Fund. The project page calls it the climate park programme.

What the council said

Cllr Adam Bennett, Cabinet Member for Community, Environment and Enforcement, said the projects would help “futureproof the borough against the changing climate”.

“While events like severe floods are relatively infrequent, it is essential that we continue to invest in measures that strengthen our defences,” he said.

What it means for you

  • If you live on Park Avenue or Broadwood Avenue, or near Pinn Meadows or Bessingby Park, these schemes are aimed at your street.
  • Expect diggers in the parks through October and November, and at Pinn Meadows into December. The council has published drawings for each scheme.
  • Check your own risk. The council’s flooding page has general advice.

Sources