The new Elm Park Library opened on Monday 27 April 2009. It's a real asset for Elm Park, not least because it replaces a prefab building from 1956. One of the new building's main talking points is its green roof - that's not green in the sense of garishly coloured, but in the sense of having a planted surface. Apparently the technical term is a "sedum roof" which will among other things provide a habitat for birds and insects. Although there can be scepticism about some things promoted in the name of the environment, making use of a large empty surface for something living, rather than leaving it as sterile dead space, must make sense. It will be interesting to see how the new roof develops over time.
Further details on the environmental features of the building, including the solar power cells, and details of the opening times and facilities available, can be found on the Council's Elm Park Library page. The cost of the building (the last projected cost figure I can find is £823,000) was funded by the Council, the Veolia ES Cleanaway Havering Riverside Trust (using Landfill Tax Credits) and Phase 2 of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme (a Government grants programme).
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