First time innovative system is used on a walking route in the UK.
A new form of sustainable drainage has been installed on a walking and cycling route near Milton Keynes, to improve access and prevent flooding.
It’s the first time the system has been used on a walking and cycling route in the UK and is part of a national trial which, if successful, could help reduce flooding on thousands of miles of paths across the country.
It has been organised by Sustrans, a walking and cycling charity which looks after the UK’s National Cycle Network. Its Cycle Route 6, between Castlethorpe and Milton Keynes, frequently flooded and became muddy during the winter months.
Sustrans worked with Milton Keynes City Council and Civil Water Management, a sustainable drainage engineering company, to install the ‘Hydrotrench’ drain system along 200 metres of the traffic-free path.
The section was also widened to three metres and re-surfaced to improve accessibility for everyone. The project was funded by the Department for Transport’s Rural Transport Accelerator Programme and National Highways.
Castlethorpe to Milton Keynes is a traffic-free path and has the potential to be a well-used green space for local people walking and cycling to work or to Wolverton Station, and for exercise. But its condition had deteriorated, particularly after recent wet weather.
The sustainable technology includes drainage units made from recycled tyre rubber, which are permeable and allow water to flow down away from the route. They are low-maintenance and can be installed using less excavation than traditional drainage methods. This helps protect trees and hedges along the path.
“We’re very excited to test this new environmentally friendly technology on the Castlethorpe to Milton Keynes path,” said Clare Maltby, Sustrans Midlands and East Director. “We want the route to become a popular green route for people walking, cycling or using a mobility aid.
“Poor drainage and flooding are problems on many sections of our National Cycle Network. By testing Hydrotrench across the Network we hope to improve drainage problems on traffic-free paths across the country, and develop an efficient, wildlife-friendly rural transport infrastructure, at low cost.”
