Everest industry news
Porous driveways key to reducing effects of flooding
01 May 2008
Residents of Gloucester believe that porous driveways are key to keeping rising water at bay, following widespread flooding in July last year.The Gloucester Echo has reported that Tewkesbury Town Council is leading the fight to prevent future building in the floodplain, with plans to invest £75 million in better infrastructure.
But ten months after the devastating floods that swamped large parts of the county, many locals believe fighting back the waves should start at home, with absorbent driveways.
Concreted driveways without adequate drainage allow water to collect, without being absorbed naturally by the soil.
Builders recommend putting down a membrane to prevent weeds from growing, with gaps between paving slabs filled with gravel in order to allow water to drain away.
As well as helping turn the tide against flooding, this method also uses fewer paving slabs and can cost the consumer less.
A report entitled Building on the Floodplain is Misguided (A Proof of Evidence) found that construction near the town of Tewksebury misplaced water and made the flooding worse.
