The Creekside Education Centre building, located in the the Deptford Creek area of the Thames corridor within inner London, has the second built ‘brown’ roof created for black redstarts and other brownfield biodiversity in London. The Creekside Environment Project has laid out a vision for an ecologically and socially sensitive regeneration of the 1.2 km long tidal Deptford Creek area – an urban recovery program to promote redevelopment of derelict brownfield sites and enhance local investment and the environment. Jill Goddard, Ecological Regeneration Manager, London Borough of Lewisham, ran the Creekside Environmental Programme at Deptford Creek, and has been key to seeing ‘brown’ roofs being established.The Centre’s roof sports the low-nutrient natural substrate typical of Deptford Creek brownfields, and spontaneous vegetation is slowly evolving, but cover is on its way. The goal is not complete vegetation cover as open spaces are necessary to recreate the brownfield environment, and in fact, ongoing maintenance will see to this.

Data from the results of monitoring the Deptford area’s greenroofs will be held at the Creekside Education Centre. Deptford Creek: Life On the Edge (2002) is a 36-page color publication describing the history, partnerships, local involvement, ecology, biodiversity, sustainable design regeneration projects, and a vision for their future. All profits go to the Creekside Education Trust.