The document discusses the importance of green infrastructure (GI) and biodiverse design in urban planning, highlighting its role in addressing social, environmental, and economic challenges through ecosystem services. It covers policies, practical tools, and examples of GI implementations such as living roofs and rain gardens, while emphasizing the need for multifunctional management and collaboration among stakeholders. Future challenges include the need for improved delivery systems, innovative design approaches, and overcoming implementation concerns.

1. Green Infrastructure & Biodiverse
Design
TEC Breakfast Briefing 14.11.2013
Paul Roebuck MIEEM MSc BSc

2. Content
 Background
 Introduction
 Policy / Guidance
 Practical Delivery Tools
 Case Studies
 Future & Challenges
 Conclusion & Discussion

3. • Golden Age for
Infrastructure
Development?

4. What is Green Infrastructure?
“GI represents an approach to land use
that has a critical role in meeting many of
the challenges we face [social,
environmental and economic].
It achieves this through its multifunctional
and connected nature and is underpinned
by the concept of ecosystem services, an
approach which recognises the many
benefits that are generated by natural
ecosystems”
Landscape Institute

5. What is Green Infrastructure?
“GI is a strategically planned and
delivered network of high quality green
spaces and other environmental
features.
It should be designed and managed
as a multifunctional resource
capable of delivering a wide range of
environmental and quality of life
benefits for local communities”.
Natural England

6. Examples of Green Infrastructure & Biodiverse Design
•
•
•
•
•
Living Roofs
Parks & Gardens
SuDs Features
Living Walls
Green Corridors – Rivers,
Road and Rail
• Amenity Greenspace
• Allotments
• Natural and Semi-Natural
Urban Greenspace

7. Green Infrastructure – Key Principles

8. Who is involved?

9. Policy & Legislation
• Historical planning policy and legislation relating to
ecology and biodiversity has been largely led by the
principles of conservation and protection
• Wildlife & Countryside Act (1981) & Habitat
Regulations (1994) as examples
• 20th Century approach?

10. • Future planning policy and legislation - Creation, Conservation &
Protection
• Natural Environment & Rural Communities Act (NERC) (2006),
the Localism Act (2011) & National Planning Policy Framework
(NPPF) (2012)
• LPAs must have „a due regard to biodiversity‟ (NERC Act) and
will expect a „net gain‟ from the development (NPPF)
• Green Infrastructure essential part of Local Plans
• 21st Century approach?

11. Additional Drivers for Green Infrastructure & Biodiverse
Design?
• Biodiversity Action Plan Targets – species and habitats
• • Building Environmental Assessment Tools – –
Building Environmental Assessment Tools BREEAM,
CfSH
BREEAM, CfSH
• • Nature Improvement Areas (NIA‟s) && Biodiversity
Nature Improvement Areas (NIA‟s) Biodiversity Offsetting
(No Net Loss) Net Loss)
Offsetting (No
• • Major Infrastructure Projects – – Require Mitigation &
Major Infrastructure Projects Require Mitigation & Design
• Common sense? “integrate the built and natural form
Design
• together” sense? “integrate the built and natural
Common
form‟‟

12. Guidance – General Overview

13. Guidance – Focused Design

14. Building Environmental Assessment Tools (BEATs)
 Assessment of building design performance
- using criteria and summary of overall performance.
 Addresses broad range of sustainability issues
- demonstrates the environmental credentials of your building.
 BREEAM - Building Research Establishment Environmental
Assessment Method.
 CfSH – Code for Sustainable Homes.
 BRE making revisions to Ecology section in 2014.
Complete overhaul? TEC part of task group to make
changes.

15. Benefits of Green Infrastructure
The multiple functions that GI assets provide are
underpinned by the concept of „ecosystem services‟.
In the recent UK National Ecosystem Assessment these
services were divided into four categories:
 Supporting Services – ecosystem processes
 Regulating Services – control mechanisms
 Provisioning Services – products
 Cultural Services - non-material benefits

16. Supporting Services
 Soil formation
 Nutrient cycle
 Photosynthesis

17. Regulating Services
Provisioning
 Climate
Services change – e.g reducing surface water flooding
 Detoxification/purification in soil, water and air
 Hazard regulation – water attenuation
 Pollution control
 Pollination

18. Provisioning Services
 Wildlife habitats (biodiversity)
 Economic productivity - land and property
value etc.
 Energy production
 Food production
 Water supply

19. Cultural Services
 Recreation
 Access to nature
 Social interaction &
cohesion
 Aesthetic/visual quality
 Improved health & well
being
 Environmental education

20. Case Studies – Thames Green Bridge

25. Landscape Planting – Design
 Selection – „right plant in the right place‟
 Sustainable horticulture – planting medium, water, nutrients
 Species of known wildlife value - native vs. non-native?
 Provenance of native stock – Pests & diseases (ash dieback
etc.)
 Planting density / diversity – do we need to take our leads from
nature?
 Long-term management is key – Management Plan (BEATs),
funding/costs, grounds maintenance/contractual issues, fostering
ownership etc.

26. GI Audit - London Bridge Area Land-use

27. GI Audit - Project Background
 Urban environment – 39% is buildings
 75% of rainfall is surface run-off
 Prediction is for a 40% increase in peak rainfall events
 London Regional Flood Risk Appraisal identified
surface water flooding as the major concern
 Ambition to increase green (vegetated) cover in central
London by 5% by 2030 and 10% by 2050 (London Plan)

28. Climate Change Reality - Tooley Street

29. Climate Change Reality - Tooley Street

30. Rain Gardens
 Reducing the amount and rate of surface water leaving urban
sites is one of the most effective ways of managing flood risk
 Rain gardens are only one part of the SuDS process
 The aim is to mimic natural drainage processes

31. Lyon Rain Gardens

32. Lyon Urban Wetlands

33. Hackney Urban Swale

34. Hackney Urban Swale

35. Hackney Urban Swale

36. Potential Rain Garden?

37. Potential Rain Garden

38. Potential Rain Garden?

39. Potential Rain Garden?

40. Rain Gardens
 50 sites have been identified as being able to accommodate a rain
garden treatment.

41. Living Walls

42. Living Walls

43. Bermondsey St. Potential Green Wall

44. Bermondsey St. Potential Green Wall

45. Rain Gardens and Green Walls
 50 sites have been identified as being able to accommodate a rain
garden treatment.
 30 sites have been identified as being able to accommodate either
modular or traditional green wall treatments.

46. Living Roofs

47. Living Roofs – Types (Right Roof Right Place)
hitworth Art Gallery
 Intensive – deeper soils, garden style, heavier
April 2010
 Extensive – shallower soils, low growing vegetation
 Semi-intensive – half way between the two, typical
approach for „biodiverse roofs‟
Planting
Substrate
Filter sheet
Drainage layer
Protective mat
Root barrier

48. Living Roofs – Types
Extensive
Use
Semi-intensive
Ecological Landscape Garden/Ecological Landscape
Intensive
Garden/Park
Vegetation
Moss-Sedum-HerbsGrasses
Grass-Herbs-Shrubs
Lawn/Perennials,
Shrubs, Trees
Depth of
substrate
60 - 200mm
120 - 250mm
150 - 900mm
Weight
60 - 150 kg/m2
120 - 200 kg/m2
180 - 1100 kg/m2
Maintenance
Low
Occasional
Frequent
Irrigation
No
Occasionally
Yes

49. Extensive Living Roofs – First „Brown Roof‟ in London

50. Over 70 – Case Study
Living Roofsplant species 2

51. Extensive Living Roofs – Sedum Systems

52. Semi-Intensive Living Roofs – Biodiverse Roofs

54. Intensive Living Roofs

56. Green Roofs – London Bridge

57. Biodiversity Design: Species - Invertebrates

59. Invertebrates

60. Lendlease HQ Roof Garden

61. Lendlease HQ Habitat Wall

62. Intentional Provision of Artificial Roost Sites is Vital

63. Bird Boxes

64. Bird Boxes – What to consider?
 Open fronted – black redstart, grey wagtail
 Hole fronted – blue-tit, robin
 Communal – house sparrow
 Nest bowl – house martin, swallow
 Bespoke – swift, peregrine falcon, owls
 Presence of bird / collect baseline data / BAP targets
 Attachment / orientation – away from direct midday sun
 Foraging habitat
 Size of hole / predation
 Maintenance

65. Integrated Bat Boxes
Schwegler bat tube
Norfolk bat brick
Roofblock
Ibstock enclosed bat brick
Forticrete

66. External Provision
Kent bat box
Schwegler bat box

67. Ex-situ Provision

68. Bat Boxes - Design Considerations
Temperature requirements (opposite to birds!):
• Summer - warm for rearing young (30ºC to 40ºC)
• Winter - cool for hibernation (0ºC to 6ºC)
Positioning
• Place where the roost will receive at least 6-10 hours of direct
sunlight a day
• Aspect and orientation - S, SW, SE (W, E, N)
• 2-7m in height
Access / Clearance
• Clear path to flight-line
• Vegetation close by for cover and foraging

69. Ex-situ provision – What works?
Wildlife needs breakfast as well as a bed!
• Individual species requirements
• Sun exposure
• Bigger is better
• Height is important
• Size of crevice width: 1.5 cm to 2.5 cm
• Ventilation slots – provide wider temperature ranges
• Multiple bat houses – group three or more together
• Mitigation close to where roost was lost
• Proximity to landscape features: For example wildflower
meadows/pasture and water – Wildlife (not just bats!)
needs breakfast as well as a bed.

70. Lots more Biodiversity Design measures and
Green Infrastructure creation not mentioned
such as:
• Street trees
• Water features – ‘Blue’ Infrastructure
• Be Creative!

71. Case Study - Crown Estates
•
•
•
•
30 retail parks
Ecologically enhance sites:
Incorporate design measures –
multi-functional
Baseline survey and report with
recommendations.
Increase value - opportunity for
Crown Estates to act as a
“Sustainability Innovator” by showcasing green infrastructure and
SuDs features on site. This would
encourage local businesses to
adopt similar practices

72. Future & Challenges
• Lots of stakeholders – Need to work together
• New systems and mechanisms for delivery – Biodiversity
Offsetting
• Policy – Localism still early days
• Problems with delivery tools – BREEAM/CfSH etc.
• Incorporating „Biodiversity Design‟ measures for sake of
it. i.e. bird box in wrong place
• Playing it safe? Not taking risks due to costs/concerns of
implementation.
• Be inspired – be brave and take opportunities!

73. Thank You
Any Questions?
paul@ecologyconsultancy.co.uk