Interview: our involvement with Green Infrastructure - Sean Robinson

Name Sean Robinson

Job title Specification Director – WMS

What is your involvement with Green Infrastructure (GI) at Polypipe?

I’ve been involved with the project from the very start, mainly because the campaign is centred around the use of Permavoid (of which I was product manager at the time) in green spaces.

Permavoid is a modular interlocking geocellular sub-base replacement system. There are lots of different Geocellular products on the market, but Permavoid is unique with its strength, it’s shallowness to the surface and there’s no other product that matches the way it is joined together. There’s no need to look any further because we’re the only people in the UK who sell it! We have a long term licence to manufacture and distribute it due to our long historic relationship with the owner of Permavoid.

Tell us more about GI. What does it mean to you?

GI is becoming more prevalent in the planning of new and retrofit SuDs designs, so it is absolutely crucial that we embrace this change. When we’re approached to help with project designs we utilise our systems and technology to enhance the specifications to enable GI.

What does GI mean to Polypipe?

GI provides a whole host of new ideas and solutions. We’re able to provide systems that enable resilient developments and answer questions that designers, clients and contractors haven’t realised they need answering yet.

What does GI mean to our customers?

I think this is varied and in 3 levels:

Cities/Clients/Planners/architects: these guys understand the pressures that the increase in population and climate change brings to the urban environment and this will influence the way they design projects.

Consultants/Landscape architects: similar to the above, they understand that they need to include GI and we’re equipped to support with this. One thing that I am aware of is that ‘Polypipe’ has a large task on its hands in delivering the message that we’re able to help.

Contractors/Developers: can learn that the type of scheme SUDS with the inclusion of GI shouldn’t be more expensive, but absolutely must be considered early in the project development at planning stage.

What can people expect to see more of after our launch of GI?

Hopefully an increase in early engagement of GI in project designs. This will then lead to many more enquiries and if specified correctly, pull through lots more successful projects to add to our list.

For our clients through to contractors, hopefully they will have satisfaction that there is now a place for answers to the design/construction queries when combining blue/green multifunctional solutions.

Which do you feel is the most important multi-functional benefit?

If I had to choose one, it would be placemaking. This to me incorporates adding green which means creating more blue (making space for water) meaning more biodiversity and amenity for the area. Also, green spaces promote health benefits both physically and mentally.