Development involving tallest building in Milton Keynes will have a green living roof

The move will earn the MK Gateway development the accolade of becoming one of the UK’s highest biosolar roofs.

It will be installed once the development is complete and local communities will be asked to take part in seed collection workshops to populate the roof with native wildflowers.

The green roof will also be ‘biosolar,, which means it will be integrated with solar panels to generate electricity to help power the development.

This will reduce the need for air-conditioning in summer and heating in winter, and will also increasing biodiversity, lower Co2 emissions, capture carbon and reduce the surrounding air temperature, say the developers Socius and First Base.

They have joined forces with investors Patron Capital and obtained planning permission last December to turn the site of Saxon Court, the council’s former housing offices, into ‘MK Gateway’ – complete with 288 apartments, shops, workplaces and public space.

The 33 storey apartment block will sit alongside two new buildings called The Shed and The Village. The latter will incorporate another UK first - 11 vertical gardens, totaling 4,500 square feet, for residents to share.

Living roof specialists Bridgman & Bridgman will help create the new green rooftops on the Village. Already a live lab green rooftop ‘meanwhile project’ has been created on the roof of Saxon Court to showcase the benefits. Residents from the YMCA helped and the roof was moved to YMCA building in CMK in April.

Steve Eccles, project director for Socius, said: “We have committed to a range of sustainable initiatives in the development of MK Gateway, all of which supports Milton Keynes Council’s aspirations for a greener, healthier Milton Keynes.

"Following the success of the initial green roof on Saxon Court, we are therefore delighted to extend our collaboration with Bridgman & Bridgman which will offer immediate and substantial environmental benefits for Central Milton Keynes and future residents of the Village.”

Chris Bridgman, managing partner of Bridgman & Bridgman, said: “Green roofs are a vital tool for climate action and, through our ongoing partnership with Socius, we can help make Milton Keynes one of the greenest cities in the world.”