It’s nearly that time of year again…
Building Green is running our DIY Green Roof course on 24-25 October in Brighton.
This is run with our partners Organic Roofs and Brighton Permaculture Trust. It’s the first of it’s kind in the UK, and was established back in 2007.
Learn hands on how green roofs work, question the experts about your project, and visit some inspirational examples in the city.
Bookings can be made here.
Happy course participants in 2013, building their green roof bird boxes
A nice walk through a city park can do wonders for a work-weary brain, reducing mental fatigue and improving attention. But if you’re trapped on the high floors of an office tower all day, you can’t exactly break for a long stroll and a picnic. Well, fear not. If you have a view of a nearby green space, like say a green roof, and even just a minute to spare, you can reap some of the same refreshing benefits of urban nature.
More here.
The Brighton skyline could become fields of green as environmental experts have identified 87 football pitches worth of roof space perfect for grass and flowers.
Full article here.
The new Sustainability Checklist was published this month. All residential planning applications involving new builds and conversions within Brighton & Hove require a completed Brighton & Hove sustainability checklist.
Good news that it includes a section on Greening, which will help to make green features even more standard in developments.
It asks:
– does the development include green walls; and
– does the development include green roofs;
– how many trees will be planted?
If yes, it asks for more information including the number/area of the features, and the type of habitat green roofs incorporates.
Part 1 of the City Plan states that the Council will continue to measure the success of its policies in part by measuring the area of green wall and green roof established through new development.
Taking a look at the portfolio for the Sustainability Checklist shows that greening is a clear ambition of the Council.
Brighton Road bin store has a green roof, Worthing
The first feasibility study and audit of the potential for green roofs in Brighton has been published.
Green roof on the Velo cafe, The Level, Brighton – image by Building Green
The study examined a study area in Central Brighton, to assess the potential benefits of establishing green roofs.
It finds that 61 hectares of roofs in Central Brighton are suitable for retrofitting with green roofs, in a way which brings nature, summer cooling and storm water management benefits and improves the attractiveness of the cityscape.
This is equivalent to 87 football pitches-worth of new green roof space in the 9km2 area of the city that runs between the West pier and Dyke Road, and from Bear Road to Kemptown.
This area is highly urbanised, is susceptible to surface water flooding, and has limited open green space.
More on the benefits:
This work should be of interest to planners, architects, developers, environmentalists, householders and city businesses.
Download the Brighton Green Roof Audit
The study was prepared by Ben Kimpton (Senior Ecologist – The Ecology Consultancy) and The Green Roof Consultancy, it was supported by Matthew Thomas (former Ecologist – Brighton & Hove City Council), James Farrell (Chair – Brighton and Hove Building Green), Dusty Gedge (Founder – Livingroofs.org and Director – The Green Roof Consultancy) and Lee Evans (Director – Organic Roofs).
The next Building Green with Organic roofs ‘DIY green roof course’ will be on the weekend of 24 and 25 October 2015.
Details on the Brighton Permaculture Trust website.
Here’s what people said about this year’s course.
“I feel confident in building a green roof after this 1.5 days. That’s what I came for.”
“the tutors were great and we saw some interesting examples of green roofs, nice people on the course and a really nice atmosphere”
“Having more than one course leader with different specialties relevant to the course meant the content was varied but still in depth.”
“I learnt lots of practical things I can apply in my lifestyle.”
Thanks to everyone who took part in this weekend’s Green Roof workshop, convened by Brighton Permaculture Trust with Building Green and Organic Roofs.
It was a great fun way to spend the weekend – loads to learn, new people to meet.
Watch this space for more courses in future.
We’re on for our next DIY course, following the successful weekend led by Building Green and Organic Roofs last year.
Taking place on the weekend of 18-19 October, participants will ‘learn by doing’ – building their own green roofed bird box to take home, visiting green roof projects in Brighton & Hove, and learning about the history, policy and technology of green roofs from leading practitioners.
Building Green DIY course March 2013
The course is hosted by the Brighton Permaculture Trust – you can make bookings from their site here.
The Outline Business Case for the £420 million redevelopment of the Royal Sussex County Hospital (RSCH) has been approved by HM Treasury and was formally announced on Thursday 1st May 2014.
This approval allows us to move forward with confidence into the next phase of the redevelopment: completing the detailed interior designs and preparing the site for the new hospital buildings.
“The announcement marks a genuine turning point in the future of healthcare for patients from across Brighton & Hove and beyond. The improvements brought about by this scheme will be experienced across the whole of our patient population from the frail elderly who are currently cared for in the second oldest ward building in the country, to those with the most specialised care needs, in services such as Cancer Care, Neuroscience and Intensive Care.”
The new hospital will have roof gardens and green roofs, likely to be the largest in the city.
Brighton & Hove Building Green 