Green shoots for summer in the city

The planning blueprint will recommend new buildings are covered in plants, which will grow in soil laid on top of a waterproof membrane.

Green walls will act like vertical gardens with plants growing on the sides of new houses and offices.

'Green roofs improve the look of an area and are a practical investment'

Experts say that “planted” buildings provide natural insulation and reduce CO2 emissions, while helping slow rainwater run-off, reducing the risk of flooding. The greenery also provides a habitat for birds, insects and small mammals.

Britain’s largest green wall was built last year at the new Leamouth Peninsula development in Docklands, featuring 160 different varieties of plant.

Developer Thornsett Group has included a green roof at its new Charterhouse Square scheme in Clerkenwell, and French botanist Patrick Blanc is creating a green wall at the Pacha nightclub in King’s Cross. Buildings at the Olympic Park will include green roofs,too.

The latest example came last week when Westminster Council gave permission for a new Cabot Property Partnership development in Thayer Street, Marylebone. The building will have a green roof and - because there will not be any off-road parking - the developers will also have to provide residents with free membership of a car-hire club.

Councillor Steve Summers said: “We have seen a growing interest in green roofs. They improve the look of an area and they are a practical investment, as the life of a green roof is normally double that of an ordinary one.”