Urban agriculturein the UK

visión de experiencias internacionales en materia de agricultura urbana en cubiertas de edificios (Reino Unido)

Dr Elisa Lopez-CapelResearch Associate in Urban Soil Science

SNES-Bio Economyelisa.lopez-capel@ncl.ac.uk

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/

1 Allotments; 2. private gardens; 3 Community gardens/Guerrilla community action; 4 Urban farms; 5 rooftop developments; 6 aquaponics and vertical/hydroponics 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-UK

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

2. London: Open rooftop farms 3 open rooftop farms: 1)The Rosewood London, Midtown; 2) terrace 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: rooftops

Urban farming: Businesses

Examples of commercial and

Social enterprise businesses e.g.

https://grocycle.com/;

Greenhouse food 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/

Newcastle Science Central potential solution:

Urban Agriculture research at USB

Development of green Infrastructure research facilities including a green roof, a rooftop garden, 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. fertilecityproject)

Urban food production Newcastle

Urban Science Building – integrated systemsBuilding as a Laboratory (BaaL)

Urban Sciences

Building (USB)

Schematic showing one of the BaaL

systems: Green Infastructures (GI)

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/urbansciencesbuildingreceivesbreeaminnovationcredit.html June 2016

Experimenting in the ‘lab’ - Sustainable DrainageGreen infrastructures Sustainable Urban Drainage Laboratory-UKCRIC

Lysimeters

Urban Flood Modelling

Swale

Urban Sciences Building

Sustainable Urban Drainage Lab

Multi-scale monitoringIndividual -> Science Central -> City-wide -> Region

http://urbanobservatory.ac.uk/

Urban Observatory

Nadal et al (2017) Rooftop reqs.

Meeting the right criteria for Rooftop greenhouse implementation…

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.

School of

Natural and Environmental

Sciences

What would support UA in the UK?

Ability to support different models of UA in the UK

Type/location- support Regulations/Comments

Allotments,community gardens, city farms

Yes. Protected by law (LA)Private ones at risk (interim)New ones under new contracts with landowners. Often run by charities…FUNDING: National lottery fund for community action, Health campaigns, Gov. Climate change initiatives

Yes. LA planning dept.LA contaminated land officerLA allotment officerPlanning town act 10.06-review.Some LA-Food Plan/PolicyClimate change Act (Gov to LA)Incl in Education (SDG/climate)

Rooftop gardens OK as green roof (GI). Accreditation OKLimited (planning) and no BREEAM accreditation for food production. Funding? Currently private

Planning only reqs supplementDepends on planning officerSee BREEAM accreditation

Rooftop greenhouses

R&T (OK) Commercial: Not at the moment… Roof Tech issues (spec)Funding: private.

Planning for GH could be granted but Farming not incl in bld planning/regulations!

Peri-urban Some. Commercial (hard to justify economic support/finance). InnovateUK

Some Gov/Industry supportGI/Agritech programs..

Other Some GH food produc Industrial areas Planning OK/DEFRA OK/FSA OK

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 govEnv 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 DeptBusiness, Energy and Industrial strategy. Use City/Universities as test beds. Newcastle doing it already GI (UKCRIC). UA needs stronger link to Agribusiness.

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.

School of

Natural and Environmental

Sciences