'Spongy roads' to be Slough's new claim to fame - BBC News

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Ricky Gervais put its trading estate on the map in The Office, while poet John Betjeman famously invited friendly bombs to fall on Slough.

But now the Berkshire town looks set to gain a new claim to fame as it will get the Chinese "sponge city" treatment.

The flood defence system sees selected roads transformed with permeable surfaces that soak up surface water.

It is one of 25 innovative new environmental projects around England to be backed with government cash.

Pioneered in China - Wuhan, now best known for an entirely different reason, is considered its leading sponge city - the project in Slough sees participating areas turn a proportion of their urban land into sponge features to absorb rain and flood water.

Under the programme, managed by the Environment Agency, the town will also use natural vegetation to improve drainage.

Eight more things that Slough gave the world

A further 24 schemes aimed at improving waterway defences and coastal resilience will also get a share of £150m as part of the government's new flood and coastal resilience innovation programme.

They include the restoration of sub-tidal habitats like kelp beds, oyster reefs and sea grass near South Tyneside.

Residents in Buckinghamshire will get an app to warn them about the threat of groundwater.

And in Northumberland artificial intelligence and new sensor technology will be used to detect rising water levels.

Environment minister Rebecca Pow said the 25 projects will help shape future approaches in preparing communities for flooding and coastal change.

It will also help "reinforce the UK's position as a world leader in innovation and new technology as we build back better," she added.

Emma Howard Boyd, chairwoman of the Environment Agency, called the project "extremely exciting" and said it could be replicated on a larger scale around the world if successful.

Here is the full list of local areas involved in 25 specialised projects: