GREEN ROOFS AND PLANNING

Regeneration and development offers the chance to employ new sustainable construction techniques, to
help us respond to the threats caused by climate change and urbanisation. The guidance to achieve
sustainable development it set down in PPS1 of the National Planning Policy 2004.

PROBLEMS TARGETED
Flooding, increasing temperatures in urban centres, lack of green space and declining biodiversity are only
a few of the problems faced by planners today. From a planning perspective green roofs tick all the boxes,
helping to satisfy a range of needs of a planning application for instance:
• sustainable drainage (SUDS)- they slow rainwater runoff acting like a sponge.
• reduced energy consumption by keeping buildings cool in summer, which in turn lowers
carbon dioxide emissions.
• improve biodiversity by creating green spaces.

PLANNING POLICY STATEMENTS

∗ PPS01 - Delivering Sustainable Development - which amongst other things identifies sustainable development
as the core purpose underpinning planning.
∗ PPS03 - Housing - which promotes more sustainable modes of construction and delivery.
∗ PPS09 - sets out planning policies on the protection of biodiversity through the planning system suggesting
the mitigating of land lost to development by replacing it elsewhere.
∗ PPS25 - suggests local Planning Authorities should prepare and implement planning strategies that help to
deliver sustainable development by reducing flood risk through the use of surface water management plans,
green infrastructure for flood storage, conveyance and SUDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems).

PLANNING POLICY STATEMENTS

∗ PPG02 - Green Belts - which are protected where better use can be made of land and buildings within existing
urban areas.
∗ PPG17 - Planning for open space, sports and recreation - to which recreational roofs can make useful
contribution.

www.thegreenroofcentre.co.uk
OTHER LEGISLATION TARGETED
1. Water Framework Directive (WFD).
2. The Kyoto Protocol - EU countries are legally bound to cut their greenhouse gas emissions to 8%
of 1990 levels by 2012.
3. EU Energy Policy (Jan, 2007) -proposes a unilateral 20% reduction in green house gas emissions by 2020.
4. Forthcoming European Floods Directive ( early 2008).
5. Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act (2006), Natural Habitat legislation Natural, (2000).
6. Directive on Energy Performance of buildings (2002) - this includes the promotion of improvements of the
energy performance of buildings within the EU.

To date there are no British Standards to aid planning departments but the commonly used foreign standards is the
German FLL guide. They set out guidelines, which cover topics such as;
• Green roof system components

• Growing Mediums – their porosity, weight, structure, water permeability and pH value.

• Plant and vegetation requirements

• Planting, cultivation & maintenance – dry seeding, wet seeding, hydro seeding, Sedum
mats & Turf laying; Readiness for handover, post installation maintenance

CASE STUDIES

Sharrow School

At the new Sharrow School in Sheffield, the green roof and learning terraces are part of an overall sustainable
building strategy. The design ethic was to make the school a raised part of surrounding landscape of Mount Pleasant
Park. The green roof spans over 1200 m2 and consists of 200 tonnes of crushed recycled brick mixed with com-
posted kerbside collected green waste. The roof is seeded with wildflowers, creating an elevated habitat for local
wildlife. Other sustainable features at the school include a ground source heat pump and rainwater harvesting sys-
tem.

The Black Redstart

Biodiversity roofs in Depford Creek, London have been used for conservation purposes, to protect a rare avian
inhabitant of brownfield sites, the “Black Redstart”. The biodiversity roof’s use construction waste as substrate,
recreating the habitats the birds have lost to development at ground level.

www.thegreenroofcentre.co.uk