I’ve just walked down Scarcroft Hill as the rain pours down from the latest storm. I watched water rush from the fairly large number of front gardens which are paved, into the gutter, down the hill to the overflowing drains, which lead to the Ouse, which is beginning to flood.

This has given me a great new idea on how to fund future flood resilience. Alan Titchmarsh and all his friends who have benefited from the gardening programmes which have promoted decking, paving, and a whole range of impermeable garden coverings could donate some of their gains to a fund.

This could provide money for sustainable drainage systems to stop water rushing straight into our rivers. Come on Titchmarsh et al, the garden designers and paving stone suppliers, not to mention B&Q and Homebase, you need to cough up so that we can have some rain gardens, green roofs, green walls, and ponds and reservoirs to hold back the torrents.

Sara Robin, Wentworth Road, York.