St George's RC Primary School SUDS in Schools Scheme

Award outcome

Description

St Georges Primary School is located in Lemington, north of Scotswood Road and the northern bank of the River Tyne. The school is located ~30m east of Sugley Dene Burn and has suffered repeated internal flooding due to surface water ingress during high intensity storms, in part due to its location on the flow route of a steep, sloping topography with natural overland flows heading towards the River Tyne. NaFRA2 maps indicated that the school is at risk in a 1 in 100-year event, however the local topography and reported flooding from the school mean this is likely to be a conservative estimate of risk. Currently, surface water is managed by a private drainage system comprising of roof drainage, storm drains and channel drains located in front of the main entrance to the building, which is four steps lower than the yard / hardstanding area around it. These drainage features are easily overwhelmed in heavy storms and surface water enters the school buildings. Maintenance of these components is undertaken by the school caretaker. The project will intercept and attenuate surface water in SuDS features before discharge back into the school's private drainage. SuDS in Schools is a fund established by the Department for Education (DfE) to improve the resilience of schools to flooding issues by implementing Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS). The LLFA applied for funding and was informed it had been successful in 2025. DfE funding is for a maximum of 50% of any project. The Northumbria Regional Flood & Coast Committee has subsequently agreed to match fund the other 50% of successful DfE bids. It is only practicable to undertake SuDS in Schools projects during the summer holidays, given the timescales involved in the construction of these projects and the need to minimize disruption to the school and safety issues for staff and pupils. SuDS projects aim to manage storm water when conventional drainage systems are overwhelmed. Surface water is stored or "attenuated" in features like basins, swales or raingardens, which then slowly release water back into the environment once the peak of a storm has passed. As well reducing flood risk, features should be designed to deliver environmental, health and wellbeing and amenity benefits.

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