Clarion has set an ambitious target of increasing biodiversity across the neighbourhoods and sites we manage by 30% by 2030. The local focus that comes with regeneration activity presents an ideal opportunity to contribute to that target with new green spaces, tree planting, sustainable urban drainage and community-driven stewardship activities.

Biodiversity

Building a Greener Future

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Building with Nature

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The scale and complexity of Clarion’s regeneration programme offers opportunities to test out new approaches to sustainability, community building and intergenerational living

Innovation

We are running a series of community-led urban greening projects across our regeneration estates. Working with partners like Urban Growth and Sustainable Merton, we have run a number of planting days, ‘balcony greening’ workshop sessions, tree planting days, community garden installations and gardening clubs.

In summer 2022 we piloted a ‘balcony greening’ project at High Path in partnership with Sustainable Merton. The aim was to encourage Clarion residents moving into new homes on the estate to plant up their balconies, with the aim of ‘greening up’ the estate, improving air quality, encouraging biodiversity and promoting engagement with nature. This project acted as a pilot that we will replicate in other neighbourhoods undergoing regeneration. 

We ran two resident planting days on High Path in June and October 2022. In the first, residents planted up large rectangular wooden planters with a selection of plants. They were given a choice of four themes: herbs, wildlife friendly, edible or ornamental. Residents chose a range, but the wildlife friendly selection was the most popular. In the second session, residents returned to plant up terracotta planters with layered bulbs for the autumn. The sessions were extremely popular among residents of all ages, and the results are still visible on balconies at High Path.

In summer 2023, we installed a new community garden at Eastfields. With residents help, we built 8 large raised beds in the central green, to grow edible plants as well as ornamental. One resident painted a beautiful sign for the garden. The garden will be managed by a residents monthly gardening club, lead by professional gardeners at Urban Growth. 

A similar scheme has just got underway at our Sherwood Close, Ealing site. We have a number of other greening projects in the works, all community-lead and estate-based. Watch this space.

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The ‘Building with Nature’ award assesses construction projects on a number of impact areas, including connectivity to nature, water management, wildlife impact, responding to the climate emergency. The Sutton estate in Chelsea and Barne Barton estate in Plymouth have both been awarded Building with Nature accreditation.

The Building with Nature assessors said this about our Barne Barton scheme: 

“The regeneration project will transform the layout and design of Barne Barton, introducing new green infrastructure for the wider community. Design proposals were heavily influenced by the existing community to ensure the project reflects the community’s strengths and needs, retaining existing assets and bringing in new ones to enhance the environment. One of these new changes is a Green Street in the heart of the development, tying the community in with nature. It is aspects such as these that makes the design wholly reflective of the greater Plymouth area and the Tamar Estuary AONB. Although the development is on a site of high housing demand coupled with a lower land value, the developer has effectively promoted sustainable land-use. They have done so alongside the necessary housing development needs. Thus, both aspects of the development have had equal focus and delivery, enhancing the overall liveability of the site. BwN accredited the Outline Plan for a Design Award, and the applicant is in the process of preparing an assessment for accreditation for a Full Award.”

Sutton estate, Chelsea was awarded a Building with Nature Full Award (subject to post-construction sign off), primarily for its green landscaping. We will be applying for the award for other regeneration schemes, following its standards where possible to ensure best practice.

Find out more about the&nbsp;<a href="/uploads/BWN_barnebarton_8pp_2022_v1_1a3de81c48.pdf">BwN Barne Barton case study.</a>