We here in the BRP shed have long been banging on about the many benefits of replacing traditional hard standing such as tarmac with permeable paving systems like our Hebden X-Grid, but sometimes it’s nice to know the wider world is also paying attention. That’s why we were delighted to hear talk of recycled plastic permeable paving in the mainstream media: on the BBC’s venerable Gardener’s Question Time, no less!

Flow management in the mainstream

Garden designers Manoj Malde and Caro Sanders talked about the importance of outdoor spaces for homes. They outlined some very smart strategies for keeping your garden both beautiful and functional, whilst also helping reduce some of the environmental problems faced by city dwellers – not least flooding. You can find the full show athttps://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0001w3s . The whole show is brilliant listening, and the segment on city gardens is at 16:08.

Hebden 402 BROWN Filled 1

Hebden X-Grid filled with gravel to make a smart and functional driveway, which also allows water and plants through.

A driveway made of Hebden X-Grid allows water to return to the water table, ‘slowing the flow’ and helping to reduce flooding wherever it is installed. Many local authorities have installed it to build unobtrusive laybys for emergency vehicles, and it’s frequently installed in country parks to reduce the amount of drab tarmac or concrete blotting the landscape. We even supply delineators – white plastic dots which clip in to subtly mark boundaries or bays for multiple cars.

Is this the beginning of widespread public awareness of recycled plastic permeable paving? Will all driveways from this day forth be plastic grids? Will the suburbs of Shoreditch start ripping up their driveways and laying Hebden X-Grid? Who knows. It’s just great to be having the conversation.

If this article has started you thinking about making your driveway permeable to water and plants (not to mention prettier than tarmac), you can find information on Hebden X-Grid at https://britishrecycledplastic.co.uk/ground-reinforcement-grids-hebden-suds/. Drop us a line to place an order.