Urbanist on a Mission had the pleasure of supporting the Museum of Brands with their planning application for a new greenhouse and workspace in their award-winning Memorial Garden, which was approved in June. 

Articulating how the greenhouse complies with wider national and local planning policy was a key part of the submission. The environmental benefits of the proposal were evident, providing a covered and secure space where the dedicated volunteers could enhance local biodiversity, grow seedlings and shelter plants from the increasingly extreme and unpredictable impacts of climate change.  

However, concisely summarising how interconnected the possible co-benefits around design enhancement, physical and mental health improvement, local skills building and community enrichment for a range of age-groups and backgrounds was brought to life using the OnePlanet tool. Through conversations with the volunteers about the ambitions of the project, I was able to put simple associated actions, indicators and outcomes into the interactive visual mind map. This meant the case for how planning approval would contribute to the achievement of sustainable development could be made more multidimensional, yet easily digestible. 

This included the important legacy value of the space, as the Memorial Garden is a place where the ashes and remembrance plaques of those who died in the Lighthouse HIV/AIDS Centre are protected. It is used by friends and relatives of those with HIV/AIDS to rest, remember, pray, place flowers, and to talk to the gardeners and others about their memories. 

I hope to see more examples of how the OnePlanet tool can be used to make the planning process more accessible, engaging and impactful for applicants and officers alike in the pursuit of sustainable development. 

You can support or learn more about the greenhouse project here and follow the project below!