“ Living walls that are designed with a soilbased system that can support native species
are more likely to fulfil biodiversity net gain requirements and provide a lasting impact .
ANS GLOBAL
WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY NET GAIN ?
The UK government has committed to making Biodiversity Net Gain mandatory for new development . Protection and enhancement of the environment and biodiversity is already a feature of the National Planning Policy Framework , and is expected to become law in England as a result of the Environment Bill . This means that all developments must leave biodiversity of the site in better shape than it was prior to development , with a minimum 10 per cent net gain to be mandated in law .
The new minimum biodiversity net gain legal requirement could present significant challenges to developers where space to create habitat on site is limited or the viability of the site could be affected , especially in urban developments . Façade-bound green walls offer a solution to this challenge and have greater potential to support rich biodiversity than other systems , due to the presence of soil and the broad range of species that can be planted .
BIODIVERSITY , BIOPHILIA AND SOCIAL IMPACT AT THE MAILBOX , STOCKPORT
Converted into over 177 apartments and 15,200 square feet of commercial , office and retail space , Stockport ’ s former sorting office has undergone a massive transformation . Sustainable property developers Rise Homes wanted to include a living wall on the façade of the building , enhancing the structure of the original building and producing an inspiring example of urban greening in practice .
Working closely with Mosaic Town Planning , Stockport City Council , Pozzoni Architects and Elder Lester McGregor , ANS Global completed the urban greening scheme which involved not just one but 14 different living walls over four elevations . At 1,190 square metres the project involved 114,240 plants that wrapped around the building .
Using a soil-based living wall system gave the project greater flexibility in plant selection , allowing for native species , pollinator planting and sources of nectar . This creates a habitat for bees , burrowing insects and encourages natural colonisation , maximising the biodiversity net gain of the project as well as improving the aesthetics of the building and improving air quality .
ACHIEVING BIODIVERSITY NET GAIN
Living walls that are designed with a soil-based system that can support native species are more likely to fulfil biodiversity net gain requirements and provide a lasting impact . A soil-based system also gives longevity to the installation , setting it up to be a permanent feature of the urban landscape , making it more likely to meet the requirements of the upcoming Environment Bill , which sets out the requirement for habitats to be managed and monitored for a minimum of 30 years .
A ‘ lifetime ’ living wall , like those created at The Mailbox , Stockport , delivers an alternative ecological habitat ( including nesting areas ), and provides benefits to the local environment for years to come .
ANS Global has partnered with AECOM , the world ’ s premier infrastructure consulting firm , to produce two advice guides on incorporating urban green infrastructure within developments , designed to help architects , environmental consultants , planners , landscapers and construction professionals who all have roles to play in achieving biodiversity net gain in new developments .
The guides lay out best practice methods in using the Biodiversity Metric to assess how urban green infrastructure contributes to achieving biodiversity net gain , as well as explaining the differences between green infrastructure habitats , how these differences impact on BNG calculations , and illustrate how each habitat should be designed to ensure biodiversity units can be achieved .
The two guides ; “ Using Urban Green Infrastructure to Achieve Biodiversity Net Gain ” and “ Urban Green Infrastructure Technical Guide ” are available for free download at www . ansgroupglobal . com / building-with-biodiversity-net-gain-pr
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