SWR install new Living Wall at Portsmouth Harbour station

Credit: SWR

South Western Railway (SWR) have installed a new, emissions-busting Living Wall at Portsmouth Harbour. The wall is set to reduce air pollution, boost biodiversity, and help to reduce stress levels. The Portsmouth Harbour station entrance is now adorned with a Living Wall; a self-sufficient, vertical garden produced by green firm Biotecture.

SWR have installed the wall in a move to combat air pollution and increase biodiversity, while also helping to improve personal wellbeing. With studies showing that poor air quality is linked to more than 5.5 million premature deaths, Living Walls have been proven to effectively reduce harmful nitrogen oxides. At the same time, they also give a boost to biodiversity by providing accessible habitats for insects and other wildlife.

“At SWR, we are passionate about helping to the support the communities we serve, including by making them greener and more sustainable,” Amy Dickinson, Head of Sustainability for SWR, said. “By improving air quality and providing a safe home for all sorts of wildlife, this brilliant new Living Wall does just this.”

“Living walls are a brilliant way to reconnect people with nature and deliver environmental benefits,” Richard Sabin, Managing Director of Biotecture, said. “It is great to be working with a client like South Western Railway and we are looking forward to bringing many more living walls to train stations across the region for people to enjoy.”

“It is great to see our partners in the city acting on our declaration of a Climate Emergency in 2019 and looking at all the ways they can support us in moving towards Net Zero as a city, as well as helping us to make the city greener,” Kimberly Barrett, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and the Green Recovery at Portsmouth City Council, said. “The Living Wall is a great addition to the area and I’m really looking forward to seeing the impact it has on the local environment.”