Accreditation scheme proposed for climate resilient gardens

A research project, led by Anglian Water, has found a ‘clear opportunity’ for stakeholders to explore the use of accreditation to embed climate-resilient landscape design in new housing developments.

The Enabling Water Smart Communities (EWSC) project, funded by the water regulator Ofwat, set out to drive the delivery of gardens which tolerate hotter, drier summers with minimal irrigation and prove flood-resilient during wetter winters.

Incentivising developers to invest in high-quality soils and climate-appropriate planting, the project report says, would cut surface water runoff, reduce water demand, and tackle some of the most ‘persistent failures’ in new build landscaping.

The EWSC researchers spoke to future homebuyers, housing developers, and industry professionals to explore the potential for a new accreditation scheme to deliver these outcomes, finding:

• 96% of homebuyers were willing to pay over £2,000 more for a new home with a climate resilient garden and 38% were willing to pay over £10,000 more.
• Feedback from developers was overwhelmingly positive, with participants valuing the opportunity to collaborate and expressing a strong commitment to advancing sustainable gardening practices.
• Strong support8 among industry professionals for continued collaboration, piloting the accreditation scheme, and developing clear specifications and demonstration projects to promote water-smart landscaping in new developments.

Ultimately, the project identified an opportunity for the RHS and Future Homes Hub to take an accreditation scheme forward, through a pilot with willing developers and best practice demonstration events.

BALI welcomes the recognition of the importance of a quality landscaped garden in delivering key environmental and wellbeing benefits and is working with Anglian Water to support this project as it develops.