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Scientists study green roof at uni's 'living lab'

Louise Parry & Sam Read
BBC News, Milton Keynes
Steve Hubbard/BBC Two men in white lab coats kneel down next to a raised bed containing different materials. They are on the grey roof of a building and there are several wooden raised beds dotted around, each containing different items: soil, crushed stone, grass, sand, etcetera. The sky is blue behind them.Steve Hubbard/BBC
Eight different combinations of base materials and vegetation will be tested at the "living lab" on top of an Open University building

A university has added a green roof on its campus so scientists can study the impact of growing plants on top of buildings.

The Open University (OU) said its "living roof lab" in Milton Keynes would "contribute to crucial research on the ecological and urban benefits" of green roofing systems.

Milton Keynes has more intensive green roofs than any other UK city outside London or Edinburgh, according to Chris Bridgman, whose company is working with the OU.

"This research is really important to help us lobby government, to make sure green roofs are used to help tackle climate change," he said.

The two-year project will collect data from the "experimental site" on top of the OU's Stuart Hall building.

Dr Kadmiel Maseyk, leading the research, said the team would test eight different combinations of substrates and vegetation, from crushed brick and limestone to sedum and wildflowers.

Bridgman & Bridgman A rooftop garden on the YMCA seen with many other large buildings around and in the distance. The roof is covered in gravel and contains several growing beds, shaped as triangles and rectangles. Some have wildflowers, others growing food, while others have grass/sedum in. There is blue table and chairs, yellow sun loungers and 3 solar panels. About 10 people stand on the roof chatting and there are green balloons dotted around.Bridgman & Bridgman
The roof garden on the YMCA is one of Bridgman & Bridgman's flagship projects in Milton Keynes

Dr Maseyk said although "we do know quite a lot about the benefits" of green roofs, the phenomenon had not been widely tested in the UK.

"The majority of this research comes from Europe and North America, but it's important to understand how this translates into the UK.

"We are looking at our specific requirements, both in the way the UK climate is now - and might change in future - and the kind of native vegetation we could use," he said.

Green roofs can suck up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, provide habitats for pollinators, and help to insulate buildings.

"Cooling very important due to the urban heat island effect, as cities heat up more quickly," he added.

Steve Hubbard/BBC Sarah stands in the roof garden with the raised beds behind her. She is smiling at the camera and wearing her glasses on her head. She wears an apron and black top.Steve Hubbard/BBC
Sarah says the YMCA roof garden in Milton Keynes is "a beautiful, tranquil space"

Sarah Smyth, who manages the YMCA café, said their green roof "fills me with so much joy".

"We get the opportunity to have salads and vegetables that are grown up here and use them in our kitchen. It's organic: no spray, and no air miles, what could be better?

"It's magical, being able to come up here, seeing what's ready to pick.

"I do think we should do more of this. Every single roof in Milton Keynes should be covered in green roofs.

"Think about how much CO2 you'd be absorbing, how different our city would from anybody else's," she said.

Steve Hubbard/BBC Chris Bridgman standing on the roof of the Open Univeristy with the raised beds behind him, out of focus. He wears rounded glasses and a black quilted jacket, and smiles at the camera. He has short, dark hair and light stubble.Steve Hubbard/BBC
Chris Bridgman is hoping the government will get behind the idea of green roofs in the planning process

Mr Bridgman said green roofs could also help to reduce flash flooding and "prolong the roof life by up to three times, by protecting the waterproof layer from sun and rain".

"Our council are really behind this, ensuring it is included in developments, and we've seen a huge increase in the number of green roofs that are included in planning permission."

Dr Maseyk hopes the research will encourage the government to back the idea on a national scale.

"We hope to inform policy-making, so green roofs are captured more in planning decisions and become a much more integral component of buildings in the future," he said.

Turning roofs green in Milton Keynes

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