Urban in the UK visión de experiencias internacionales en materia de agricultura urbana en cubiertas de edificios (Reino Unido)

Dr Elisa Lopez-Capel Research Associate in Urban Science SNES-Bio Economy [email protected] http://www.ncl.ac.uk/ Urban farming-UK

1 Allotments; 2. private ; 3 Community gardens/Guerrilla community action; 4 Urban farms; 5 rooftop developments; 6 and vertical/ for details see: allotments at http://www.growingbirmingham.org/category/urban-farming/; community action www.incredible-edible- todmorden.co.uk; city farms at https://www.farmgarden.org.uk/ www.ouseburnfarm.org.uk ; underground farm London https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/26/growing-underground-the-fresh-herbs-sprouting-beneath-londoners-feet ; aquaponics in London http://growup.org.uk/ Urban farming: rooftops

1. Bristol: University of Bristol Experimental (T&R

2. London: Open rooftop farms 3 open rooftop farms: 1)The Rosewood London, Midtown; 2) first floor of an office block; 3) top of Le Cordon Bleu cookery school (Sky Farmers Ltd) http://www.bristol.ac.uk/biology/research/glasshouses/ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/grow-to-eat/rooftop-farming-nature-flourishes-londons-skyline-plus-top/ https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/apr/27/inside-europes-biggest-urban-farm; https://urbanfarmers.com/projects/the-hague/ Urban farming: Businesses

Examples of commercial and Social enterprise businesses e.g. https://grocycle.com/; production

The planning permission for Thanet Earth allows the construct up to seven greenhouses. 5 constructed. The investment required is enormous, with the projected cost of completing all seven standing at £135m. http://www.thanetearth.com/ Urban food production Newcastle Newcastle Science Central potential solution: research at USB Development of green Infrastructure research facilities including a green , a rooftop , and a building integrated roof top greenhouse (Biodome). See Urban Agrifood Systems at Science Central 2015 seed corn report at http://www.ncl.ac.uk/sciencecentral/about/

building integration agriculture (BIA) (e.g. fertilecity project) Urban Science Building – integrated systems Building as a Laboratory (BaaL)

Schematic showing one of the BaaL systems: Green Infastructures (GI)

Urban Sciences Building (USB)

Building waste heat and CO2 used as inputs to rooftop biodome

Green roof stores water and improves biodiversity USB BREEAM credit for energy storage test bed (not for green infrastructures) http://ncl.ac.uk/sustainability/news/item/urbansciencesbuildingreceivesbreeaminnovationcr edit.html June 2016 ExperimentingGreen infrastructures in the ‘lab’ - Sustainable Drainage Sustainable Urban Drainage Laboratory-UKCRIC

Lysimeters Swale

Urban Sciences Building

Sustainable Urban Drainage Urban Flood Modelling Lab Urban Observatory

Multi-scale monitoring Individual -> Science Central -> City-wide -> Region http://urbanobservatory.ac.uk/ Meeting the right criteria for Rooftop greenhouse implementation…

Nadal et al (2017) Rooftop reqs. School of Natural and Environmental Sciences What would support UA in the UK? 1. ¿Cree que los diferentes modelos de agricultura urbana podrían verse favorecidos si contasen con un instrumento jurídico propio que los estableciese y regulase (ordenanza local, norma autonómica, plan/programa)?

2. ¿Cuál considera que debería ser el rol de la Administración (local, autonómica etc.) en materia de agricultura urbana en los próximos años?: a) Debería centrarse en incentivarla para que cumpla funciones esencialmente sociales, educativas. b) Debería favorecer también otras finalidades como el autoconsumo, comercialización etc. c) En este último caso, ¿cuál debería ser el papel de la Administración? Entiende, por ejemplo, que deben existir autorizaciones y/o certificaciones con relación a su implantación, consumo, venta. d) Considera que las administraciones territoriales y las propias universidades podrían utilizar los edificios de titularidad pública para implementar y fomentar este tipo de agricultura. Ability to support different models of UA in the UK Type/location- support Regulations/Comments Allotments, Yes. Protected by law (LA) Yes. LA planning dept. community Private ones at risk (interim) LA contaminated land officer gardens, city New ones under new contracts with LA officer farms landowners. Often run by charities… Planning town act 10.06-review. FUNDING: National lottery fund for Some LA-Food Plan/Policy community action, Health campaigns, Climate change Act (Gov to LA) Gov. Climate change initiatives Incl in Education (SDG/climate) Rooftop gardens OK as (GI). Accreditation OK Planning only reqs supplement Limited (planning) and no BREEAM Depends on planning officer accreditation for food production. See BREEAM accreditation Funding? Currently private Rooftop R&T (OK) Commercial: Not at the Planning for GH could be greenhouses moment… Roof Tech issues (spec) granted but Farming not incl in Funding: private. bld planning/regulations! Peri-urban Some. Commercial (hard to justify Some Gov/Industry support economic support/finance). InnovateUK GI/Agritech programs.. Other Some GH food produc Industrial areas Planning OK/DEFRA OK/FSA OK School of Natural and Environmental Sciences Role of Local, regional and national Authorities in UA and Rooftop greenhouses in UK • (2) National Gov to enable LA to support charities, social enterprise, businesses, through climate change mitigation, community development & regeneration, and social and wellbeing. Some underway (incl. Food plan/policy, food charter) • (2) Planning and building regulatory changes: Integrate GI & UA. No incentive due to limited economic value and lack off BREEAM accreditation. Change through Gov Natural Env White paper (2011), Natural Capita report (2015) and Committee. Changes in Land use class/use/change/permit of vacant land/blds. • (2) Food and Environment policy changes (DEFRA). Change EU common Agriculture policy (more gov $ support for farmers due to Brexit and new gov Env regulation). Climate change National adaptation programme (due 2018). • (2a,b). Currently mainly social and educational. Long term not just initiatives • (2c) OK to consume but regs needed to sale: incl Food standard Agency review. • (2d) DEFRA/RCUK funding support for Universities and businesses on urban Agritech.. Link to existing support ‘future cities’ ‘digitaly enable’ progrs and Dept Business, Energy and Industrial strategy. Use City/Universities as test beds. Newcastle doing it already GI (UKCRIC). UA needs stronger link to Agri business. School of Natural and Environmental Sciences Suggestions/summary: Role of Gov & local authorities

Role: National governments have an important role to play in supporting community groups and local authorities to create optimal conditions for UA. There is a need for joined‐up policy across scales and sectors, as it is largely “disintegrated”… UA could have a role to play in climate adaptation and food security programs (food productivity, sustainable intensification).

Value: Expectations for urban farming often centre on traditional measures of economic development, potentially overlooking other benefits. New emphasis on Natural Capita values. Needs alignment with LA priorities (poverty, employment, nutrition, obesity, welfare). Food banks or/and UA?

Pathways: partnerships between activists (or entrepreneurs) and local government, and enabling national legislation. There is a need to preserve the self-organising spirit of UA (an incentivise businesses) as new legislation comes into force (uncertainty due to Brexit..) School of Natural and Environmental Sciences Useful references and web links: Food charters and food cities at http://sustainablefoodcities.org/ http://www.cityfarmer.info/ Federation of city farms at https://www.farmgarden.org.uk/ Building sustainability awards and accreditation http://www.breeam.com/ National Planning policy https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-planning-policy-framework- -2

Academic publications: Adams et al (2013) http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/geob.12031 White & Bunn (2017) http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2017.07.056 School of Natural and Environmental Sciences EXAMPLE PLANNING ROOF GARDEN (www.dcp.online.co.uk) 4.134 Control over layout < 4.13 Layout, design and amenity matters < 4.1 Material considerations < 4 The fundamentals of development management

The role of roof gardens in satisfying garden space standards, was tackled in Redbridge 9/5/2014 DCS No 400-003-952 where the proposal entailed retail and food and drink uses with nine flats above. An inspector decided that a proposed roof garden would fall short of the amenity space required under the council's policies, and this would also add to the impact of the scheme by requiring stair and lift enclosures on the roof, clad in black glass panels. However, in other cases such as Islington 20/12/1994 DCS No 037-137-914, the creation of a roof garden has been held to satisfy amenity space needs. In this case an inspector observed that a substantial roof garden proposed for a four storey flatted development, satisfied more than 50 percent of the requirement for external amenity space. Of course, a potent objection to roof gardens is their overlooking propensity, but screening may mitigate this problem.