Peel Commits to TRAFFORDCITY's First Green Roof

Peel Land and Property has broken ground on the new highly sustainable £1.5 million purpose-built nursery which will be TRAFFORDCITY'S first child care facility and one of the most environmentally friendly buildings in its portfolio to date.

The contemporary building, which will be developed by Peel Land and Property for multi-award winning nursery group Kids Allowed, will be a flagship development in terms of its green credentials, featuring the first Sedum mat green roof in TRAFFORDCITY as well as within its own portfolio.

The environmentally friendly Sedum mat green roof works by retaining and purifying rainwater which naturally reduces the amount of water flowing into the drain, therefore cutting the quantity of contaminates filtering into the drainage system. It also brings insulation and noise reduction benefits as well as an ever changing attractive green view for employees in the neighbouring Venus building to enjoy.

Top 25%

The design and infrastructure of the nursery will ensure it achieves the highest Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) A rating as well as a BREEAM 'Very Good' rating which will rank the building in the top 25% of UK new non-domestic buildings for environmental performance. Additionally, solar photovoltaic panels will be installed on the roof to provide the building with a supplement of clean, low carbon energy.

As part of its long term sustainable vision Peel Land and Property has commissioned students under the lead of Dr Anna Gilchrist from The University of Manchester's School of Environment, Education and Development to develop methods for monitoring and measuring the ecological benefits of the green roof.

Showcasing our first green roof

Peel Land and Property's Sustainability Manager Jo Holden, who this week is representing Peel at the Mayor of Greater Manchester's Green Summit, said: “It's fantastic that we're able to showcase our first green roof at such a high profile location and we're delighted to have the University on board with such a crucial study. The University's findings will help us to shape our sustainable developments for the future and by joining the UK Green Building Council, it further demonstrates our commitment to a cleaner, greener city region."

Jennie Johnson MBE, Founder and Chief Executive of Kids Allowed, said: "We're really excited that Peel has committed to the green roof concept for our eighth nursery in Greater Manchester. As well as being a beautiful and unique feature, it will reduce the running costs of our nursery and, of course, benefit the environment. We're looking forward to seeing the development take shape."

The nursery is due to open in September 2018.