Green roof and landscaping proposal
The Ecology Consultancy was commissioned by the Victoria and Albert Museum to carry out a walkover survey and BREEAM Industrial (2011) Assessment for the proposed redevelopment of their site at Exhibition Road, London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
The site, which is situated within the Victorian quadrangle, is dominated by several flat roofed buildings, with an area of hard-standing and occasional tall ruderal vegetation. It was understood that work at the site would involve the demolition of some existing buildings to allow the construction of a temporary exhibition building with a green roof, along with possible new landscaping in containers at ground level.
The site was assessed with respect to of the following components of the BREEAM Industrial (2011) Assessment methodology:
LE02 - Ecological Value of Site and Protection of Ecological Features (1 available credit);
LE03 - Mitigating Ecological Impact (2 available credits);
LE04 - Enhancing Site Ecology (3 available credits), and;
LE05 - Long-term Impact on Biodiversity (2 available credits).
The BREEAM Industrial (2011) Land Use and Ecology (LE01-05) assessment methodology provides a number of credits in respect of the ecological aspects of a development. The aim of the methodology is to encourage, wherever possible, development on land that already has a limited value to wildlife, and discourage the development of ecologically valuable sites. In addition, projects are encouraged to minimise or mitigate potential ecological impacts, compensate for any habitat loss and, where possible, enhance the site for biodiversity.
We carried out a Habitat survey and a Preliminary Protected Species assessment at the V&A, looking for features likely to be of value for roosting, foraging and commuting bats, and breeding birds. We also evaluated the likelihood of the site to provide shelter, roosting, nesting and/or foraging habitat, for a range of species.
Our bat ecologists were particularly interested in a small shed-like structure on the roof of a section of the co
