Great green and sustainable news coming from POTEnT UK partner Milton Keynes!
New living green bus shelters, capable of extracting harmful carbon emissions, are being installed across the city as part of a pilot project backed by MK Council.
Living green rooftops packed with Sedum plants, which provide the perfect habitat for bees, bugs and butterflies, are being installed at 30 busy Milton Keynes bus shelters to help support biodiversity and reduce vehicle pollution.
The pilot project has received £50,000 in MK Council funding as the city looks to achieve its ambitions of being carbon neutral by 2030 and carbon negative by 2050. If the pilot’s a success, then green roofs will be considered in any future bus shelter upgrades.
Cllr Jenny Wilson-Marklew, Cabinet Member for Climate and Sustainability at MK Council said: “As well as providing a habitat for many small pollinating creatures and improving biodiversity, the green roofs will be a great signal for MK’s green and sustainable ambitions.
“It’s just a small part of our bigger plans, but will help remind people that Milton Keynes is a clean and green place and we welcome all kinds of green behaviours and ideas.”
Living bus shelter rooftops are not MK’s first green initiative for its bus stops; several already feature solar-powered lights and there are two solar-powered information screens being piloted.
MK’s new bus shelter roofs are being installed by local firms Axiom and Bridgeman and Bridgman. Chris Bridgman said: “We’ve worked with living roof designer Dusty Gedge of the Green Infrastructure Consultancy to develop the pioneering roof system. It’s the first time this approach has been undertaken on such a scale anywhere in the world and we can’t wait to get started.”
