Study hopes to turn Manchester's roofs green

Drivers Jonas and AECOM are working on feasibility study which could lead to green roofs becoming part of the planning requirements in Manchester.

The study, which has been instigated by the Commission for the New Economy and Manchester council, is looking to assess the potential for introducing green roof spaces on new and existing buildings in the city, of which there are currently very few.

The second phase of the project is to set up a pilot scheme on five buildings in the South Manchester Corridor area - an economic development zone centred on the Oxford Road area. The results of the study will be used to inform planning and property investment policies across Greater Manchester as part of a green roof guidance strategy.

Jon Lovell, head of sustainability at Drivers Jonas, said: “This comprehensive piece of work will hopefully stimulate a major change in perceptions, leading to far greater uptake of green roofs on new and existing buildings across the conurbation. It will provide useful tools for architects, contractors, building owners and managers, and planners."

The launch of the study comes on the same day that the government urged urban dwellers to become bee keepers to halt the decline in the bee population.