The first stage of a flood-management scheme at Coombe Girls’ School in New Malden has been completed, with another phase planned for summer 2027.

    Kingston Council says underground storage installed beneath the playing field will collect and disperse excess surface water, helping protect the school and nearby homes and roads. The work took place during the summer holidays.

    Further work planned

    In its 1 October announcement, the council said similar infrastructure would be installed on the north-west side of the school next summer. It did not give an exact construction timetable or project cost.

    The scheme concerns surface and storm water. The announcement does not establish that every nearby property is protected from every type of flooding.

    It follows a flood-alleviation basin completed at Sir Francis Barker recreation ground in Chessington in autumn 2025. Smaller drainage projects include four rain gardens on Lower Ham Road and King Charles Road, plus a sustainable drainage system on Richmond Road.

    Rain gardens use shallow planted areas to capture runoff from hard surfaces and allow it to soak away more slowly. The council presents the projects as part of its wider work on flood resilience.

    Updated on 28 October 2026.

    New Malden High Street, August 2012. Archive location image, not the school or flood works. New Malden High Street – archive photograph 2012 by Colin Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0. Resized and compressed; display crops may vary.