What we’re doing to reduce the flood risk in the city 

The Norton Road rain garden design consultation

We're installing a rain garden in Hove and you can take part in the Norton Road rain garden design consultation which will be live between 22 May and 18 June 2023.  

The Norton Road rain garden project

The Norton Road Rain Garden project is part of the Carbon Neutral 2030 programme and was agreed by our Policy and Resources Committee on 6 October 2022.  

We'll install a rain garden which will extend from the existing pavement edges at the junction of Norton Road and Eaton Road. There will be a new kerb line with small gaps to allow surface water into the rain garden. You'll still be able to drive over this junction, and we will keep existing drains. 

The rain garden proposals include:

• biodiverse planting
• 2 new street trees using specialised Stockholm Tree Pits
• installing permeable paving underneath some existing car park spaces

This project is supported by our Carbon Neutral Fund.

About Stockholm Tree Pits

Stockholm Tree Pits use rainwater from roofs, roads and paved surfaces to provide water to a street tree. Large inlets within the tree pit let air and water in. Under the pavement or road there is a stone aeration layer and a stone-based structural soil. This allows enough space for air and water to circulate and tree roots to grow.

The conditions of the tree pit also encourage roots to spread downwards. This avoids problems caused by roots lifting pavements which can create an uneven surface and a tripping hazard.

Stockholm Tree Pits offer improvements to:

• biodiversity
• public health
• pavement safety
• flood risk - with the rain garden
• water quality, by filtering pollution

You can find out more on the Stockholm Tree Pits website. 

Please check this page for updates about the Norton Road rain garden, or send an email to NortonRoadRainGarden@brighton-hove.gov.uk.