This green roof was recently laid at the County Council children's centre in Newcastle

Green roof is centre's crowning glory

A living and breathing "green roof" will be the crowing glory of a new building which will be home to a range of childcare, health and family support services.

Builders will begin attaching the unusual roof covering to Stafford Children's Centre next week, as part of the final stage of the exciting new County Council development.

The roof will not only be an aesthetic feature, but will also hold environmental benefits for the centre and for the local area.

Stafford Children's Centre is being built on land off Faraday Road in Stafford by contractors Thomas Vale Construction Ltd. It will group together childcare, health and family support provision all under one roof. Work is in the final stages and the £3.2m centre will open in late July.

The green roof lives up to its name in many ways. It is essentially a mixture of plants and grasses laid on to a carpet which is rolled out and attached to the roof. All the nutrients it needs to survive are drawn from the air and from rainwater, so it requires minimal maintenance.

The sedum alpine plants that populate the green roof are commonly found in mountain ranges and grow easily on stone. Regular watering is not an absolute necessity to keep them alive. Conversely, they tend to grow no higher than a few inches, so maintenance is minimal.

Councillor Robert Simpson, Cabinet Member for the Council's Children and Lifelong Learning directorate, explained more: "There are real benefits to having a green roof, not least that it will make the centre instantly recognisable. If you imagine looking down at our towns from above, much of the landscape is taken up by concrete or felt roofing - this will make a really attractive change. It will support its own natural microcosm too, providing a haven for wildlife and insects."

The green roof contributes to the County Council's support for sustainability. It is also a timely reminder of the authority's commitment to conservation and tackling climate change - in the last fortnight Cabinet members voted in favour of the Council's own strategy for tackling this issue.

"The roof will help to reduce water run off," said Councillor Simpson, "as the green materials soak up much more water than conventional felt roofs. This could contribute to a reduced risk of local flooding, as less water will be released into drains."

The completion of the centre will be almost a year to the day since the first sod of earth was cut on site, by children from the local nurseries.

Page Last Modified: 30/01/2007 16:03:33

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