Growing space
For the purposes of the Home Quality Mark (HQM), growing space can be considered to be any one or more of the following:
- Food planters.
- Private gardens.
- Allotments.
- Community gardens or community orchards.
- Roof top growing space.
- Raised beds dedicated for growing food (this is a particularly useful approach where the soil conditions are poor as they can be artificially filled with good quality soil).
- Greenhouses or polytunnels.
This space could be provided in private gardens, balconies or roof terraces.
Where growing space is not provided in a garden bed, facilities to enable food growing (i.e. planters or equivalent) must be in place at handover and must be fixed in place (i.e. a free-standing planter would not be accepted).
Where communal growing space is provided it must be:
- Located within 500m of the entrance from all homes on site.
- Have clear ownership arrangements.
- A clearly-designated growing space, for example use of planting or fencing around the perimeter, or in the case of communal areas contain signage.
- Ideally south facing and not in an area that is heavily shaded.
- Contain suitable soil conditions and depths.
- Sheltered from the wind on the perimeter, for example trees, hedges or other boundary protection.
- Designed to be accessible to all users, for example through the provision of raised beds.
- Located near a rain water collection system, such as a rainwater butt.
Ref Home Quality Mark One, Technical Manual SD239, England, Scotland & Wales, published by BRE in 2018.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
UK Construction Week, London is here !
Debuting major international pavilions and much more.
Getting the most out of heat pumps and heating
How heat pumps work and how they work best.
Plumbing and heating for successful retrofit and renovation
Low temperature underfloor systems and heat pumps.
Cost-of-living crisis and home improvement plans
Starting on the right footing and top tips for projects.
Delays on construction projects
Types, mitigation and the acceleration of works.
From Chaucer to Fawlty Towers.
Electrotechnical excellence, now open for entries.
Net zero electricity grids BSRIA guide NZG 5/2024
Outlining the changes needed to transition to net zero.
CIOB Global Student Challenge 2024
Universitas Indonesia wins for second year running.
New project and cultural district described in detail.
The nature of EPCs, crticism and inaccuracies.
History, issues and redesign.
From waste recycling to energy performance the hierchy.
ECA 2024 Apprentice of the Year Award
Entries open for submission until May 31.
UK gov apprenticeship funding from April 2024
Brief summary the policy paper updated in March.