St. Matthew's Bee Road

The 50m-wide green stretching along Effra Road in front of St Matthew’s Estate is the site of a new project to create a biodiverse rain garden to enhance the local area for residents and wildlife, as well as to hold water after heavy rainfall to help reduce localised flooding. 

We worked with St Matthew’s Estate TRA (SMETRA) to consult residents about plans for the space, which will include temporary and permanent new ponds, wildflower areas and a nature trail, constructed in 2024. 

In advance of works starting, three wildflower strips were sown by residents along estate walkways in 2023. Turf was stripped and annual and perennial wildflowers seeded into the loosened soil.  Insects spotted on flowers in the summer included three species of hoverflies, Red Admiral butterflies, solitary bee and wasp species, Small Copper and Small White butterflies and several moth species.  The green space forms part of a significant green corridor connecting other local sites including Brockwell Park, Rush Common and Brixton Orchard.

What3words: ///asks.fallen.loved