Green Shoots For Summer In The City
Evening Standard, Homes and Property, Wednesday 28th January 2009Living roofs and green walls are expected to become the order of the day when Mayor Boris Johnson reveals his redrafted London Plan in the summer, writes Ruth Bloomfield.
The planning blueprint will recommend new buildings are covered in plants, which will grow in soil laid on top of a waterproof membrane. Green walls will act like vertical gardens with plants growing on the sides of new houses and offices.
Experts say that “planted” buildings provide natural insulation and reduce CO2 emissions, while help slow rainwater run-off, reducing the risk of flooding. The greenery also provides a habitat for birds, insects and small mammals.
Britain’s largest green wall was built last year at the new Leamouth Peninsula development in Docklands, featuring 160 different varieties of plant.
Developer Thornsett Group has included a green roof at its new Charterhouse Square scheme in Clerkenwell, and French botanist Patrick Blanc is creating a green wall at the Pacha nightclub in King’s Cross. Buildings at the Olympic Park will include green roofs, too.
Westminster Council gave permission for a new Cabot Property Partnership development in Thayer Street, Marylebourne. The building will have a green roof and – because there will not be any off-road parking – the developers will also have to provide residents with free membership of a car-hire club.
Councillor Steve Summers said “We have seen a growing interest in green roofs. They improve the look of an area and they are a practical investment, as the life of a green roof is normally double that of an ordinary one.”