Green Infrastructure Audit, Bankside, London

Background

Three London Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) required a full Green Infrastructure audit as part of their delivery of the London Plan.

The task

The Ecology Consultancy and the Green Roof Consultancy were commissioned to carry out GI Audit and Feasibility Studies for these three BIDs.

This work comprised audit and analysis of ground level habitats, including public and privately-owned trees, existing green roofs, an assessment of the potential for green roof retrofit projects, and the identification of existing green walls and potential rain gardens. In addition, we carried out preliminary structural surveys of 13 roofs, and proposed new green wall locations.

The Ecology Consultancy’s expert technical and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) team was involved in the creation of databases, tree data sets and advanced spatial mapping.

The outcome

Field surveys by our ecologists led to the identification of 66 existing green walls and roofs, covering 0.3ha. Building facades, walls, boundary features (fences, railings etc.) and other structures, were assessed for their suitability to support green walls, based on the success of existing green walls nearby.

In order to engage local businesses, The Ecology Consultancy delivered a round of public presentations and conducted a green tour for companies involved in the BIDs. There was considerable buy-in from these audiences who acknowledged the undoubted benefit of new Green Infrastructure, for biodiversity and management of flooding.