After years of popularity on the continent, green roofs are finally hitting the mainstream in the UK; even Barclays’ London headquarters has a “sky garden”,’ says The Independent’s Michael Richard. The latest in eco-friendly building involves layers of a waterproof underlay, soil topped off with plants or grasses to “recreate the original footprint of the building beneath,” says Kathy Strongman in The Sunday Times. The roofs absorb water run-off, reducing pressure on the drainage system, which cuts the chances of flooding.

They are seen as one of the best ways to insulate buildings, while
maintenance is easy, with only an annual rubbish and weed check required.
Many European governments now encourage the adoption of green roofs; Germany taxes residents €6 per square metre of hard roof that allows water to run off into the drains. We haven’t reached that point yet, but many local authorities do look favourably on green roofs, and will help rather than hinder planning applications – which is one reason why The Times predicts that green roofs will “dominate” the green debate in the next year.

Moneyweek #29