A biodiverse green roof which spans over 140m² has been installed on the Occupational Health building at CalaChem’s site in Grangemouth. This is the first green roof to be installed in Grangemouth that has been designed with biodiversity in mind.
The work has been carried out through IFLI’s Glorious Green Roofs project which has been managed by Buglife, and is funded by the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund, and the EU LIFE programme.
The green roof has been planted with almost 60 species of wildflowers and grasses that are native to the UK. Species of wildflower include Common bird’s foot trefoil and Kidney vetch that the caterpillars of Common blue butterflies feed on. The roof also has an abundant supply of Red clover which provides the essential amino acids required by bumblebees and other foraging insects.
This green roof will act as a stepping stone for wildlife, allowing the movement and mixing of individuals and species across Grangemouth. It will provide an important habitat for pollinating insects such as bumblebees and hoverflies as well as other wildlife.
In addition to the benefits to wildlife the green roof also provides a number of benefits to a building itself, it helps by:
- improving insulation in the winter
- providing cooling in the summer
- reducing noise pollution
- increasing the lifespan of the roof
- providing sustainable drainage
- reducing CO2 emissions
- improve local air quality
- provide positive benefits to the health and well-being of staff
John Walker, Estates Manager at CalaChem said “CalaChem are delighted to be supporting this project and are looking forward to the wildflowers and grasses getting established and the bug life increasing. This has been a great example of what can be done with industrial roofs to both benefit wildlife and improve assets.”