Flood Re, the joint initiative between the UK government and the insurance industry, has introduced its latest project – the Rain Garden – at the RHS Malvern Spring Festival, held May 8-11.
The exhibit aims to demonstrate how compact urban spaces can be designed to reduce flood risk while also serving as usable outdoor areas.
The garden, created by designer John Howlett and constructed by Outdoor Living Gardens, occupies an 8 x 8 meter plot, mimicking the outdoor space typical of a Victorian terrace home.
It is designed to collect, store, and gradually release rainwater into the ground, reducing surface runoff. The installation is intended to show how modifications to small residential spaces can contribute to flood resilience in urban settings.
Flood Re launched its Build Back Better (BBB) initiative in 2022, offering eligible policyholders up to £10,000 for the installation of flood resilience measures. These can include internal modifications, such as raised electrical sockets and tiled flooring, as well as outdoor solutions like permeable landscaping and water diversion systems.
Flood Re says that the Rain Garden illustrates how such changes can serve as a first line of defense by helping to manage water on-site and reduce pressure on surrounding drainage infrastructure.
In recent years, the UK experienced an unprecedented surge in flood-related insurance claims, driven by a series of severe storms and escalating climate risks.
Insurers paid out a record £585 million for weather-related damage to homes and possessions, surpassing the previous year's figures by £127 million. This increase was largely attributed to 12 named storms during the 2023/2024 storm season, including Storms Babet, Ciarán, and Henk, which collectively resulted in over 38,000 flood-related insurance claims and insured losses exceeding £560 million.
Flood Re’s head of communications and stakeholder engagement, Kelly Ostler-Coyle (pictured above), said the project encourages homeowners to assess their own flood risk and consider garden features that can reduce damage and improve recovery times in the event of a flood.
The project builds on the concept first introduced at the Chelsea Flower Show with the Flood Resilient Garden, which focused on larger open spaces. The Rain Garden adapts those principles for smaller, densely populated urban environments.
After the festival, the garden will be relocated to Coppermill School in Walthamstow. There, it will serve multiple purposes: addressing localized flooding concerns, offering shade for students, and enhancing biodiversity through planting that connects the school grounds with the nearby Walthamstow Wetlands.
Last month, Flood Re also launched an online e-learning platform aimed at enhancing industry understanding of its flood insurance scheme and the BBB initiative.
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