Almost 600 new homes in Edinburgh's Meadowbank development could be fitted with 'gardens in the sky'

They are an increasingly common feature on buildings across Europe

Almost 600 new homes planned for a development in Edinburgh’s Meadowbank could be fitted with ‘gardens in the sky’ after findings of a major new report suggested the benefits to be ‘wide-ranging’.

Green roofs, compared to 'gardens in the sky', which are partially or completely covered with vegetation, can range from a simple layer of wildflowers and mosses all the way up to more elaborate environments featuring shrubs and trees.

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They are an increasingly common feature on buildings across Europe, with Stuttgart in Germany requiring all new developments to have the feature and it is hoped they could become key in the battle against climate change.

Almost 600 new homes planned for a development in Edinburgh’s Meadowbank could be fitted with ‘gardens in the sky’ after findings of a major new report suggested the benefits to be ‘wide-ranging’.Almost 600 new homes planned for a development in Edinburgh’s Meadowbank could be fitted with ‘gardens in the sky’ after findings of a major new report suggested the benefits to be ‘wide-ranging’.
Almost 600 new homes planned for a development in Edinburgh’s Meadowbank could be fitted with ‘gardens in the sky’ after findings of a major new report suggested the benefits to be ‘wide-ranging’.

They help protect against flooding, shelter wildlife and are a connection to nature for those living in urban areas who may not even have access to a back green.

However they are rare in Scottish housing, with the perceived cost thought to be discouraging developers - although a new development of nearly 600 homes at Meadowbank could be about to change that.

There is no mandatory policy for green roof infrastructure in Scotland and current planning guidelines place little weight of "expectation" on firms to integrate them.

But Ivan Clark, placemaking team manager at Scottish Natural Heritage, which - along with the Scottish Government - funded the options report, said the benefits would be wide-ranging.

The report has been unveiled, setting out options for how a 596-home development next to the new Meadowbank sports centre might look with the feature included.The report has been unveiled, setting out options for how a 596-home development next to the new Meadowbank sports centre might look with the feature included.
The report has been unveiled, setting out options for how a 596-home development next to the new Meadowbank sports centre might look with the feature included.

Mr Clark said: "It's like having gardens in the sky.

"Green roofs provide habitat for wildlife and particularly pollinators such as bees and butterflies.

"And, where you can provide people with access and the areas are properly maintained, you could even grow food.

"Green roofs slow down the rate of water run-off from a site during very heavy rain, reducing the risk of sewers backing up and causing floods because the volume of water is too great.

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"It's using nature-based solutions to deal with the challenge of large volumes of water.

"It's a bit more expensive than a conventional roof at first, but not by much, and it pays for itself pretty quickly because of savings in energy bills.

"We looked at the numbers.

"It's actually a very modest uplift with green roofs in terms of the initial capital cost."

The report has been unveiled, setting out options for how a 596-home development next to the new Meadowbank sports centre might look with the feature included.

The capital is seeking to become zero carbon by 2030 and Edinburgh City Council leaders are preparing to consider whether the ideas can be progressed.

Hopes are high that the document could help green roofs become "the norm" at residential projects throughout Scotland.

Mr Clark said: "Meadowbank is a good place to develop green roofs because it will have a range of different sizes of building.

"It will have tall buildings that could accommodate intensive green roofs - with larger shrubs and trees.

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"But there will also be smaller two or three-storey buildings where a less intensive green roof could be the right solution.

"In Edinburgh there are a few examples of some really nice green roofs but they tend to be part of office accommodation.

"More generally, and especially in terms of housing, they are not that common in Scotland - they are really quite rare.

"We are hoping that construction firms, developers and the housing sector can see the benefits of incorporating this. We want green roofs to become the norm."

Councillor Kate Campbell, housing, homelessness and fair work convener at Edinburgh City Council, said: "As a council we have an ambitious target for Edinburgh to be a net zero carbon city by 2030 and I think we have a real opportunity to embrace green house building at Meadowbank.

"One idea has been to consider the use of green roofs and we've undertaken a study to understand how this could work, but whether we'll progress this won't be known until later."

When the plans for the Meadowbank development were handed over last year, practical issues around parking and new footpaths were highlighted.

Speaking at the time, Kevin Illingworth, representing the Save Meadowbank group, said: “While we welcome the idea of active travel, we can see a number of practical issues in trying to bar vehicles from the site. There may also be problems with overspill parking in the surrounding areas – parking permits have been suggested.

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“New footpaths are also welcome. We would like these to be well lit and well designed to deter anti-social behaviour and fly tipping. We do think the plans are improving and we are keen to engage with the council and their architects at every stage of the process.”

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