Welcome to McLaw Living Roofs
Expert Opinion.
The Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, and his Chief Advisor on Architecture and Urbanism, Richard Rogers - are promoting access to roof space as part of London's urban renaissance.
The GLA Environment Team has been promoting green roofs to enhance London's biodiversity and improve building performance. Policies within the London Plan also promote Living Roofs. The GLA will continue to campaign for Living Roofs, particularly through:
- The delivery of relevant mayoral policies and strategies especially; The London Plan; The Mayor's Biodiversity and Energy Strategies; Supplementary Planning Guidance to the London Plan on sustainable design and construction, and on urban design
- Partnership working to promote the benefits of Living Roofs, undertaking demonstration projects, seeking improvements to building regulations and raising awareness
- Encouraging the Government to establish practical ways of supporting Living Roofs across the UK
- The Mayor of London's web site
London's most underused asset is just above our heads.
'Living Roofs' - green roofs, roof terraces and roof gardens - can deliver benefits throughout the city for individuals and for society as a whole, by creating new outdoor spaces, enhancing biodiversity, reducing flood risk (by absorbing heavy rainfall), providing insulation and improving the appearance of our cityscape. New construction techniques allow for many different types of Living Roofs, from natural meadows and other wildlife habitats, to allotments, formal gardens arranged with planters and seating space and even golf courses.
The UK Government has called for sustainable development policy in the UK
The past 20 years have seen a growing realisation that the current model of development is unsustainable - we are living beyond our means and placing an increasing burden on the planet e.g.:-
- Loss of biodiversity with the felling of rainforests or over fishing.
- Negative effect our consumption patterns are having on the environment and the climate.
The increasing stress we put on resources and environmental systems such as water, land and air cannot go on forever.
- Sustainable development definition:
- 'Development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs'
Paul Collins - Nottingham Trent University is an expert on the science behind Green Roofs
Paul says green roofs are an effective way of helping to stop flooding as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
- Quote Paul Colins: Nottingham Trent University:BBC Inside & Out
"They act like a sponge really. If you don't have any greenery, water can just run off the concrete roofing and adds to the rainwater spill off.
This adds to the flooding, which we've had in London over the last few years. But if you have a green roof then the soil and plants catch a lot of the water, absorbing it. And of course any green area reduces the amount of carbon dioxide in the air."