Kent County Council will be undertaking works to George Park to help reduce the risk of surface water flooding to the local area.
The park will be landscaped to store surface water collected from the surrounding roads.
The water will be collected in ponds and swales, known as attenuation areas, where it will slowly filter through the planting, removing any pollutants and drain back into the groundwater.
The water collected within the park would have previously drained into the combined sewer network which at times of heavy rainfall can reach capacity resulting in flooding.
The project is being part funded by the EU Interreg North Seas Region and involves partners from Belgium, Germany, Sweden, The Netherlands and the UK to deliver the Blue Green Infrastructure through Social Innovation project BEGIN.
The BEGIN project looks to find solutions which can adapt areas of urban green space to manage surface water flooding, reduce the impacts of climate change and create attractive spaces with multiple uses.
Cllr Michael Payne
KCC Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport Michael Payne said: “We are finding that the intensity of some of the storms we have experienced recently is resulting in more urban flooding which is increasingly difficult to manage.
“Projects like this help to divert water away from the sewer and drainage network and provide a great opportunity to ensure that the systems can cope.
“The new landscape features and variety of planting will improve the park’s overall appearance with the additional benefit of encouraging wildlife to the area.
“We are working in partnership with the Isle of Thanet Tree and Woodland Initiative project who, plan to plant up to 50 new trees as part of the project
“We shall also be extending the footpath throughout the park to provide better interconnectivity to the surrounding area.”
The park itself is owned by Thanet District Council, who currently maintain it, the maintenance of the newly planted areas will be undertaken by KCC until they are fully established at which point maintenance will revert back to Thanet District Council.
While work is carried out, it will be necessary to close the park area for three months with work due to start in late February.