Guildford’s first “living school gate” and green infrastructure deliver major health and environmental benefits
A pioneering study at Guildford town centre’s Sandfield Primary School highlights the benefits to schoolchildren’s health delivered by protective green infrastructure, demonstrating a nearly one-third reduction in harmful particle pollution levels – together with the added benefit of a 5-decibel reduction in disruptive and distracting traffic noise.
The RECLAIM Network Plus-funded CoGreen project, led by the University of Surrey’s Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), involved a collaborative effort between the school, parents and residents’ groups, and researchers from Guildford Living Lab and Zero Carbon Guildford. Each party oversaw the installation of the UK’s first ‘living school gate’ consisting of 140 plants, along with a separate green screen made of ivy designed to filter high pollution levels from the busy crossroads of the A246 York Road with the A320 Stoke Road, on which the school is sited.
While Green Infrastructure (GI) is already recognised for its ability to reduce harmful air pollution exposure, the study shines new light on the associated multifaceted benefits of implementing sustainable eco-solutions around schools, offering valuable insights that could drive wider adoption across the country.
Results from the living gate and surrounding green screen showed particle pollution levels dropped by nearly one-third compared to scenarios without GI. Additionally, the living gate reduced traffic-related noise from the main road by 5 decibels. The findings also revealed that wind direction plays a key role in the infrastructure’s efficiency, with pollution cut by 44% when blowing away from the living gate and 42% when it flowed parallel to the green screen.
This has been a long-standing ambition of Sandfield Primary, and we’re thrilled it has finally come to fruition – marking a significant milestone in protecting our environment and the health and wellbeing of everyone who learns and works at our school. This achievement was made possible through a strong partnership with the University of Surrey’s world-leading air pollution research lab, the Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), alongside the dedicated involvement of Sandfield parents and local charity Zero Carbon Guildford.Kate Collins, Head Teacher of Sandfield Primary and co-author of the study
A survey that followed the GI installation at the school revealed optimism among parents, with more than 75% providing positive responses regarding the reduction in air and noise pollution.
As a former Sandfield parent and long-time local resident, I’ve been very worried about air pollution for years. I’m pleased to have been part of this collaborative project and to see the vision we have brought to life. I sincerely hope this will help other schools and communities work together to create greener, cleaner and safer environments.Kate Alger, a local resident and freelance artist-educator
UKRI’s RECLAIM Network Plus, which focuses on turning the UK’s ‘forgotten cities’ from vulnerable spaces to healthy places, funded the project. This will pave the way for the wider-scale application of innovative strategies involving local communities, stakeholders, and policymakers in implementing GI projects to ensure their sustainability and effectiveness.
Reference
Abhijith, KV., Rawat, N., Emygdio, A.P.M., Le Den, C., Collins, K., Cartwright, P., Alger, K., McCallen, B., Kumar, P.*, 2024. Demonstrating multi-benefits of green infrastructure to Schools through collaborative approach. Science of the Total Environment, 177959. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.177959
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