At Kelvin Gardens, Metis supported the transformation of a heavily paved and over-wide residential junction into a greener, safer and more multifunctional public space. The scheme centred on the junction of Kelvin Gardens, Allendale Avenue and Derwent Road.

London Borough of Ealing wanted to introduce more public realm greening, Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), speed reduction measures and other improvements. Metis developed the concept and detailed design for a scheme focused on reclaiming highway space, retrofitting sustainable drainage, improving pedestrian priority and strengthening the local streetscape.

The project was embedded within the borough’s “Free-range Urban Neighbourhood” programme. This aimed to repurpose overly engineered highway space for people, planting and climate resilience.

The Challenge

Kelvin Gardens presented a classic urban retrofit challenge: a junction with extensive hardstanding, opportunities for better placemaking, and a downstream flood-risk context that made surface water reduction especially valuable. Ealing’s wider evidence base identified the location as upstream of roads at high risk of flooding, while the junction itself was recorded as being at medium flood risk.

The project therefore needed to balance public realm greening, SuDS and highways objectives in a constrained residential setting. Metis’s concept design included:

• a new community green space
• five raingardens
• increased tree planting
• a raised pedestrian crossing
• seating and cycle parking to improve the quality and usability of the space

The design also required us to avoid a net loss of residential parking, retain access to properties, provide adequate manoeuvring for refuse and emergency vehicles, maximise public realm greening and ensure the crossing worked with pedestrian desire lines. At detailed design stage, we had to resolve practical issues around dropped kerbs, planting extents, overrun prevention and communication of raingarden performance to residents.

Our Approach to Public Realm Greening

Metis provided a staged service that moved the project from concept design to detailed design, and funding progression. The formal scope included:

• concept general arrangement development
• detailed design in line with MCHW series requirements
• Principal Designer duties under CDM 2015 during the detailed design phase
• project governance
• early contractor involvement liaison

We also coordinated supporting surveys and developed risk and pre-construction information to manage design-stage hazards and delivery constraints.

During concept development, we worked with Ealing to refine the proposed arrangement to suit budget, site constraints and stakeholder priorities. This included reviewing surfacing options, exploring the Copenhagen crossing arrangement, and reconsidering the extent of junction narrowing.

Outcomes and Value Delivered

Metis’s work helped position Kelvin Gardens as one of Ealing’s pilot public realm greening and SuDS retrofit schemes. The funding application for the scheme was approved by Thames RFCC’s PROSPER programme. This secured £75,000 of local levy funding to help progress delivery.

The scheme converted approximately 400m² of impermeable highway space into greener, more functional public realm. This included around 300m² of community greenspace, 100m² of raingardens and significant new tree planting. As a result, we helped to:

• reduce surface water runoff
• support downstream flood alleviation
• improve pedestrian priority at the junction
• maintain access and parking requirements
• create a stronger sense of place in the neighbourhood

By combining highways design, public realm thinking and surface water management, we helped Ealing turn a difficult paved junction into a pilot example of how small urban spaces can do more: supporting people, planting, movement and resilience in one coordinated scheme.

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