News: October 2005

I've long been fascinated by green roofs - they seem to be such a good solution to so many problems all at once. Some lucky school pupils in Nottingham are to get the chance to learn all about their benefits at first hand.

An extension at Dovecote School in Clifton, Nottingham is having a new green roof fitted. The roof is covered with alpine plants, which are able to use and retain much rainwater that normally simply washes down the drain. The roof will cost £42,000 - around £18,000 more than a normal roof. But it has a 40-year life expectancy - twice as long as a normal one.

Head teacher Paul Harris said "It's far more interesting than the ordinary grey roof we have now. It makes the children's surroundings a little bit special. It's very, very low maintenance: it doesn't need cutting. The school has always stood for recycling and eco-friendly messages to the children. This was an ideal opportunity to take things a step forward. We wanted something really new and almost cutting edge technology. The governors are pretty go-ahead".

The roof reduces run-off - easing the strain on sewers during a heavy downpour. Dr Alun Rhys Tarr, director of BHC, said the roof would help the environment, commenting "It supports native plant, invertebrate and bird species. There are also significant building performance advantages particularly when it comes to the amounts of energy the building will consume."

Sean Kenny. Our roof is growing! Viewed at http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=133965&command=displayContent&sourceNode=133948&contentPK=13249654&moduleName=InternalSearch&formname=sidebarsearch on October 3rd 2005.