Paved drives add to flooding risk, warns Don

TELEVISION presenter Monty Don has said having a paved driveway is one of the “worst contributions” homeowners have made to climate change.

The 66-year-old Gardeners’ World presenter said tarmacking or paving a driveway prevents water from being absorbed into the ground, a growing problem in the face of increased flooding as a result of climate change.

Don said one of the best ways people could conserve water and mitigate the effects of climate change was to have as many absorbent surfaces in their gardens as possible.

Writing in BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, Don said: “We need to create as many chances as possible for excess water to be absorbed so that it can slowly work down into our underground aquifers and make its way gradually to our rivers and out to the sea.

“One of the worst contributions gardeners and householders have made to the problem is the tarmacking and paving of too many front gardens.”