Considering green roof should be requirement
EVERY time a development is approved without considering how we can utilise an empty roof space is a wasted opportunity (“Planned flats ‘like prison cells,’” Mercury, February 19; “City student flats are given goahead despite concern over small size”, February 20).
Green roofs and living roofs with soil and plants bring practical benefits and are a smart way to insert wildlife habitats into the urban sprawl.
The city council should require large developments to consider installing one and offer a business rate reduction if they install a green roof which is open to the public.
A three-year EU-backed study showed green roofs can improve air quality, reduce ambient noise levels and provide food and shelter for insects and birds.
There is the potential to transform scores of existing buildings across Leicester into wildlife spots through retrofitting, as well as installing solar panels, which the city should encourage with council grants.
They may also be crucial in helping to adapt to the effects of climate change.
Living roofs can cool indoor air temperatures in buildings, additional protection that will be vital for sensitive settings like schools and hospitals during increasingly common summer heatwaves.
The spongy surface of green roofs absorbs excessive water during rainstorms and reduces risk of flash flooding.
While they need to be maintained, green roofs bring benefits to business and society.
Bob Ball, Leicester Green Party