Urban greening projects are expected to increase across the UK, following changes to local and national planning policies.

Following Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s pledge to increase the number of green roofs in his reelection manifesto, architects, engineers and contractors are being urged to ensure designs meet both performance needs and British standards. Urban greening projects are expected to increase across the UK, following changes to local and national planning policies. One of the key challenges in constructing blue/green roofs, according to ACO Building Drainage, is meeting the needs of the Building Regulations, required standards – BS EN 120563:2000 and BS6229: 2018 – and achieving effective rainwater retention. Currently, as blue/green roofs are flat, they are required to meet

Neill Robinson-Welsh at ACO

Building Drainage, said: “If insufficient consideration is given to the drainage design, particularly for exceedance events, then the building integrity can be EARLY ENGAGEMENT compromised by flooding. Blue Roof systems that utilise a single roof waterproofing have to trade off DURING BLUE/GREEN increased risk with a compromised flat roof drainage design.” “It is recommended that attenuation ROOF CONSTRUCTION is considered at the earliest stages of the design, where architects, engineers and contractors ESSENTIAL FOLLOWING Installing RoofBloxx collaborate with drainage specialists.

MAYOR ELECTIONS

the British standards for gravity drainage on flat roofs. However, while traditional flat roofs are designed for water to quickly drain in the event of heavy rainfall, a blue/green roof retains water for 24 hours or more meaning the primary drainage functions are not the same. As such, there is increased risk of flooding if attenuation systems are incorrectly specified and not maintained.

This will allow project leads to find ways in which the roofing design is not compromised while meeting wider sustainable drainage system (SuDS) requirements.” To overcome the challenge, ACO’s RoofBloxx blue roof attenuation system enables engineers to design to the correct standards, while meeting planning conditions without the need to compromise. The ACO RoofBloxx system is compatible with standard civils hydraulics, while it also allows inverted roof designs to be achieved without a reduction in U-values and can be incorporated into any roof build up whether warm or inverted, new build or retrofit. Neill added: “The unique drainage requirements of blue/green roofs – coupled with the need to form part of a wider SuDS scheme – means that the initial hydraulic design of rainwater attenuation systems should include drainage specialists. Given the expected influx of blue / green roof requirements across metropolitan cities, collaborating at the earliest opportunity is critical for the smooth delivery of roof attenuation projects.”

To support professionals working on a blue/green roof, ACO has a free on-demand webinar which supports those working on a project.

To register and watch the webinar, please visit www.aco.co.uk/2021-webinar-series.

Following Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s pledge to increase the number of green roofs in his reelection manifesto, architects, engineers and contractors are being urged to ensure designs meet both performance needs and British standards. Urban greening projects are expected to increase across the UK, following changes to local and national planning policies. One of the key challenges in constructing blue/green roofs, according to ACO Building Drainage, is meeting the needs of the Building Regulations, required standards – BS EN 120563:2000 and BS6229: 2018 – and achieving effective rainwater retention. Currently, as blue/green roofs are flat, they are required to meet

Neill Robinson-Welsh at ACO

Building Drainage, said: “If insufficient consideration is given to the drainage design, particularly for exceedance events, then the building integrity can be EARLY ENGAGEMENT compromised by flooding. Blue Roof systems that utilise a single roof waterproofing have to trade off DURING BLUE/GREEN increased risk with a compromised flat roof drainage design.” “It is recommended that attenuation ROOF CONSTRUCTION is considered at the earliest stages of the design, where architects, engineers and contractors ESSENTIAL FOLLOWING Installing RoofBloxx collaborate with drainage specialists.

MAYOR ELECTIONS

the British standards for gravity drainage on flat roofs. However, while traditional flat roofs are designed for water to quickly drain in the event of heavy rainfall, a blue/green roof retains water for 24 hours or more meaning the primary drainage functions are not the same. As such, there is increased risk of flooding if attenuation systems are incorrectly specified and not maintained.

This will allow project leads to find ways in which the roofing design is not compromised while meeting wider sustainable drainage system (SuDS) requirements.” To overcome the challenge, ACO’s RoofBloxx blue roof attenuation system enables engineers to design to the correct standards, while meeting planning conditions without the need to compromise. The ACO RoofBloxx system is compatible with standard civils hydraulics, while it also allows inverted roof designs to be achieved without a reduction in U-values and can be incorporated into any roof build up whether warm or inverted, new build or retrofit. Neill added: “The unique drainage requirements of blue/green roofs – coupled with the need to form part of a wider SuDS scheme – means that the initial hydraulic design of rainwater attenuation systems should include drainage specialists. Given the expected influx of blue / green roof requirements across metropolitan cities, collaborating at the earliest opportunity is critical for the smooth delivery of roof attenuation projects.”

To support professionals working on a blue/green roof, ACO has a free on-demand webinar which supports those working on a project.

To register and watch the webinar, please visit www.aco.co.uk/2021-webinar-series.

HEDERA SCREENS LTD SUPPORTING THE NATIONWIDE #GREENRECOVERY

Nationwide approved supplier and installer of urban green solutions, with optional soft landscaping, irrigation, aftercare maintenance with an online shop to cater for smaller projects.

Enhance your surroundings with Award Winning Hedera Screens Ltd exceptional range of:

• living green screens • outdoor living walls • indoor moss walls • acoustic walling • sedum roofs • soil stabilisation matting • floral matting

A family business since 2007, working closely with leading suppliers and our diversity of clients, coupled with careful management, methodical approach to our work, is core to our exceptional track record of consistent delivery on time and to a budget. With a fully qualified team, infrastructure, and industry recognised accreditations, we can undertake both large commercial supply and installation projects to modest residential projects, providing supply and delivery only, if required.

Scientifically proven to filter harmful pollutants

Horticulture and plants are at the heart of most initiatives for clean air, privacy, and social distancing measures, but thankfully now becoming widely recognised in the main for their contribution. Living Green Screens are supplied in a variety of species and heights. The screens are planted in a coco pocket and pre-grown on a 5mm galvanised steel frame and come fully established, creating a secure and attractive evergreen or deciduous hedging. With various installation options for virtually every project. Ongoing research shows that the Living Green Screens, superior in plant density and construction, help reduce PM10 particle pollution, in some sample locations up to 60% of the particles were “cleansed” from the air behind the screens. Research continues to further validate these findings, but increasingly, the installation of Living Green Screens offers not only a secure and natural privacy screen and social distancing barrier, but a valuable solution to reduce the effects of urban pollution.

Our products contribute to cleaner air and biodiversity, thus providing an abundance of health and wellbeing benefits for everyone, moreover a nurturing, pollution filtering green space for children, as our installations of green screens in schools demonstrate the importance.

With greater emphasis on the reduction of carbon emissions and the carbon footprint, there is no better time to turn grey to green with our range of products.

For more information contact Hedera Screens on 01530 560550, email: info@hederascreens.co.uk visit www.hederascreens.co.uk Follow: @hederascreens YouTube: Hedera Screens Ltd

HEDERA SCREENS LTD SUPPORTING THE NATIONWIDE #GREENRECOVERY

Nationwide approved supplier and installer of urban green solutions, with optional soft landscaping, irrigation, aftercare maintenance with an online shop to cater for smaller projects.

Enhance your surroundings with Award Winning Hedera Screens Ltd exceptional range of:

• living green screens • outdoor living walls • indoor moss walls • acoustic walling • sedum roofs • soil stabilisation matting • floral matting

A family business since 2007, working closely with leading suppliers and our diversity of clients, coupled with careful management, methodical approach to our work, is core to our exceptional track record of consistent delivery on time and to a budget. With a fully qualified team, infrastructure, and industry recognised accreditations, we can undertake both large commercial supply and installation projects to modest residential projects, providing supply and delivery only, if required.

Scientifically proven to filter harmful pollutants

Horticulture and plants are at the heart of most initiatives for clean air, privacy, and social distancing measures, but thankfully now becoming widely recognised in the main for their contribution. Living Green Screens are supplied in a variety of species and heights. The screens are planted in a coco pocket and pre-grown on a 5mm galvanised steel frame and come fully established, creating a secure and attractive evergreen or deciduous hedging. With various installation options for virtually every project. Ongoing research shows that the Living Green Screens, superior in plant density and construction, help reduce PM10 particle pollution, in some sample locations up to 60% of the particles were “cleansed” from the air behind the screens. Research continues to further validate these findings, but increasingly, the installation of Living Green Screens offers not only a secure and natural privacy screen and social distancing barrier, but a valuable solution to reduce the effects of urban pollution.

Our products contribute to cleaner air and biodiversity, thus providing an abundance of health and wellbeing benefits for everyone, moreover a nurturing, pollution filtering green space for children, as our installations of green screens in schools demonstrate the importance.

With greater emphasis on the reduction of carbon emissions and the carbon footprint, there is no better time to turn grey to green with our range of products.

For more information contact Hedera Screens on 01530 560550, email: info@hederascreens.co.uk visit www.hederascreens.co.uk Follow: @hederascreens YouTube: Hedera Screens Ltd

SKY GARDEN -

BRINGING LANDSCAPING PRODUCTS

BACK DOWN TO EARTH Sky Garden Landscaping Solutions – proudly offering our new expanded range of landscaping products

Sky Garden have been part of the Urban Greening Revolution since 2007, with roots in the industry going back to 1986. With over 3 decades of landscaping experience Sky Garden are proud to be a leading independent in all things Urban Greening.

Sky Garden are a BALI and RIBA award winning partner for your projects with a drive to deliver sustainable and cutting edge solutions whilst providing an unrivalled selection of products that can be manufactured to your needs.

With over 10 years experience in the construction industry offering full project solutions—we have supplied over 30,000 cubic meters of growing mediums to landscapers in the past 5 years and supply hundreds of projects a year.

GROWING MEDIUMS

Sky garden has in house blending facilities to produce a wide range of standard or bespoke growing mediums to meet any of your project requirements, including: SUSTAINABILITY • Intensive substrates At Sky Garden we are proud of the sustainable journey our products • Blended top soils take. The majority of our growing • Drainage aggregates mediums are made from 100% • Structured tree soil (CU-SOIL™) recycled materials from assured sources. All of the irrigation for our farm is sustainably drawn from the PRE-GROWN VEGETATION local river to minimise the use of We can grow standard or contract grown mature blankets or mains supplied water and providing the plants that we grow with a plug plants from our UK based nursery, including: chemical free source of irrigation. • Wildflower blanket • Sedum blanket Our UK farm sits in a conservation area for which we actively engage • Ground cover blanket in stewardship to maintain and improve biodiversity, which is one of • Wildflower plugs our core values. Our UK production and growing presence allows us BAGGED PRODUCTS to minimise delivery miles and therefore support our goal of netOur in-house bagging facility can provide a range of bagged zero carbon footprint. products from 10L sacks to 2m3 bulk bags, white label or customised. We also provide contract bagging from any quantity. Including: CAPABILITY • Lightweight infill (Leca® , Lytag®) • Decorative aggregates • Growing mediums • Soil stabilisation/retention bags (Envirolok®) Contact us today for national delivery, competitive pricing and excellent customer service www.sky-garden.co.uk enquiries@sky-garden.co.uk 01242 620905

Sky Garden understands the challenges of Urban Greening. Since incorporation we have worked as a Landscaping Contractor in some of the most difficult urban locations. To meet these challenges we took the decision to in-house our production to give us the flexibility to produce our own materials. We work with and produce industry accredited products including PAS 100, BS:3882 and BS:8616. We bring our contracting knowledge to our product only clients and ensure we can service their project requirements to the highest level.

Visit www.sky-garden.co.uk for case studies and more information, call us on 01242 620905 or email enquiries@sky-garden.co.uk for all your urban landscaping needs.

SKY GARDEN -

BRINGING LANDSCAPING PRODUCTS

BACK DOWN TO EARTH Sky Garden Landscaping Solutions – proudly offering our new expanded range of landscaping products

Sky Garden have been part of the Urban Greening Revolution since 2007, with roots in the industry going back to 1986. With over 3 decades of landscaping experience Sky Garden are proud to be a leading independent in all things Urban Greening.

Sky Garden are a BALI and RIBA award winning partner for your projects with a drive to deliver sustainable and cutting edge solutions whilst providing an unrivalled selection of products that can be manufactured to your needs.

With over 10 years experience in the construction industry offering full project solutions—we have supplied over 30,000 cubic meters of growing mediums to landscapers in the past 5 years and supply hundreds of projects a year.

GROWING MEDIUMS

Sky garden has in house blending facilities to produce a wide range of standard or bespoke growing mediums to meet any of your project requirements, including: SUSTAINABILITY • Intensive substrates At Sky Garden we are proud of the sustainable journey our products • Blended top soils take. The majority of our growing • Drainage aggregates mediums are made from 100% • Structured tree soil (CU-SOIL™) recycled materials from assured sources. All of the irrigation for our farm is sustainably drawn from the PRE-GROWN VEGETATION local river to minimise the use of We can grow standard or contract grown mature blankets or mains supplied water and providing the plants that we grow with a plug plants from our UK based nursery, including: chemical free source of irrigation. • Wildflower blanket • Sedum blanket Our UK farm sits in a conservation area for which we actively engage • Ground cover blanket in stewardship to maintain and improve biodiversity, which is one of • Wildflower plugs our core values. Our UK production and growing presence allows us BAGGED PRODUCTS to minimise delivery miles and therefore support our goal of netOur in-house bagging facility can provide a range of bagged zero carbon footprint. products from 10L sacks to 2m3 bulk bags, white label or customised. We also provide contract bagging from any quantity. Including: CAPABILITY • Lightweight infill (Leca® , Lytag®) • Decorative aggregates • Growing mediums • Soil stabilisation/retention bags (Envirolok®) Contact us today for national delivery, competitive pricing and excellent customer service www.sky-garden.co.uk enquiries@sky-garden.co.uk 01242 620905

Sky Garden understands the challenges of Urban Greening. Since incorporation we have worked as a Landscaping Contractor in some of the most difficult urban locations. To meet these challenges we took the decision to in-house our production to give us the flexibility to produce our own materials. We work with and produce industry accredited products including PAS 100, BS:3882 and BS:8616. We bring our contracting knowledge to our product only clients and ensure we can service their project requirements to the highest level.

Visit www.sky-garden.co.uk for case studies and more information, call us on 01242 620905 or email enquiries@sky-garden.co.uk for all your urban landscaping needs.

NEW SECURITY MEASURES

New thinking when it comes to biodiversity Introducing the BioCube, a unique patented product that has been developed to create species-rich ecosystems and promote gains in biodiversity wherever it is used.

Learn about Living Walls from Smartscape the Living Wall Experts SHOULD COMPLEMENT AESTHETIC APPEAL

OF PUBLIC SPACES, SAYS NEW RESEARCH

Book our CPD to understand the design process, installation and maintenance of living walls, plus the enormous benefits that specifying plants in the urban environment can bring.

Visit: bioscapes.co.uk Bioscapes_Biocube_S2.indd 1 22/06/2021 17:48 Contact cpd.training@scotscape.co.uk to book your Living Walls CPD today. Available face to face or via our Part of the excellent webinar service. Scotscape group: +44 (0)208 254 5000 scotscape.co.uk

•Instant vertical greening •Numerous plant options •Simple irrigation system •Easy-to-grow & adaptable •Proven supplier •Trade terms available

New research has highlighted the importance of striking the right balance between security and aesthetics when securing public spaces, particularly in locations of Are you looking for a reliable historic interest or with recognisable living wall partner? design vocabularies. PlantBox is designed with professional The Future of Urban Design report landscapers, garden designers & self-builders by ATG Access revealed that a third in mind – simply attach and plant on site for (32%) of architects, specifiers and instant vertical greening solutions! urban planners have found that Ideal for planting Herbs & Edibles, Ferns local residents are often reluctant & Grasses, Bedding Plants and more. to have the look of an area changed by the implementation of physical It’s a Growing Revolution!™ security measures. For your recognised, reliable living wall partner contact PlantBox NOW. 020 8543 4530 contact@plantbox.shop Encouragingly, given the everpresent threats to city life, the research shows that the majority www.plantbox.shop of urban design professionals themselves are aware of the importance of incorporating security solutions into their projects, with 82% agreeing that they make a positive addition. However, some also expressed their own concerns around the impact that these measures can have on a development’s aesthetic appeal. According to the survey, 40% find incorporating security measures into new developments without impacting their aesthetic appeal a key design challenge. A surprising 2% admitted that they actively dislike them and try to avoid including security measures in their designs wherever possible. On the other hand, 8% of those surveyed said that, while they would prefer not to include security measures in their projects, they are conscious that many people like to see them. Iain Moran, director at ATG Access, commented: “Our research really highlights the importance of preserving the visual appeal of public spaces while also protecting people from threats such as vehicle attacks. “Security measures will have an increasingly large part to play as our cities continue to evolve over the coming years, with a growing focus on smart automation, reducing carbon emissions and transforming retail centres into leisure hubs, so it’s crucial that we maintain positive feeling towards them. “When implemented sensitively and correctly, security solutions offer the public a sense of reassurance and comfort, without detracting from historic landmarks or the design of the wider development, or creating a fortress mentality amongst those using the space. “The technology we have available is constantly advancing, with cutting edge products providing maximum protection with very sleek designs. Additionally, protective street furniture such as lighting, seating, planters, litter bins and cycle stands, can now be used alongside more traditional solutions, offering more freedom in the design of public spaces.” According to the report, more than a third (36%) of urban design professionals think that impacttested street furniture is a great innovation. However, 59% said that, although they think protective street furniture is a good idea, they think that architects should have more say in their design from the ground up. A further 19% said that they wished there were more options to choose from. Iain continued: “From this, it’s clear that while attitudes towards impacttested street furniture amongst architects and planners are positive, there is definite demand for access to more bespoke products. “A more collaborative approach between suppliers and design professionals might therefore be the key to enhancing perceptions of the aesthetic impact of security measures and encouraging even more widespread implementation of both protective street furniture and traditional solutions.”

www.atgaccess.com