How living roofs and solar power are shaping Holybrook’s future
Published: 18 November 2025
Despite the chill in the air on an otherwise nondescript November morning, the glorious sun came out with such brilliance and warmth, dancing off the newly installed solar panels at the Beansheaf Community Centre. This moment marked more than a picturesque scene; it symbolised Holybrook Parish Council’s continued commitment to environmental sustainability, energy conservation and community wellbeing.
Harnessing the Sun: Solar Panels at the Beansheaf Community Centre
Nestled at the heart of our community, the Beansheaf Community Centre is a hive of activity year-round. It houses local groups, social events, fitness classes, children’s activities and more. Ensuring that the building remains efficient, accessible and affordable is central to our mission. The installation of solar panels marks a major step toward achieving this.
Made possible, thanks to £18,528 in funding from the Rural England Prosperity Fund Village Hall and Community Building Grant Scheme, via West Berkshire Council, with additional support from Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) monies, this renewable energy system will significantly reduce the Centre’s carbon footprint. It will also lower its running costs, helping us maintain the facility to a high standard while keeping hiring fees as affordable as possible for the many community groups who rely on it.
On bright mornings, the panels visibly glint with promise but their real impact lies in the long-term environmental and financial savings they deliver. In a world increasingly shaped by energy challenges, this local step forward becomes part of a global movement for cleaner, more responsible power.
Bringing Nature Into Everyday Journeys: Living Roof Bus Shelters
While the solar panels look upward to harness the sun’s energy, the Parish has also been investing in green infrastructure at ground level. A series of living roof bus shelters, fully funded by West Berkshire Council (from its Bus Services Improvement Plan’s financial award from the Department for Transport), including funds towards five years of maintenance now enhance key locations across Holybrook:
- Kettering Close
- Pemberton Gardens – living green roof
- Ledbury Drive – Living green roof
- Swanholm Gardens
- Sutherland Grove – living green roof
Although a second shelter at Kettering Close could not be installed due to underground utilities, the Council is actively exploring an alternative location.
These new shelters are more than functional structures; they are miniature ecosystems. Their green roofs support pollinators such as bees, butterflies and beneficial insects, helping to strengthen local biodiversity networks. They naturally filter air pollutants, absorb rainwater and introduce pockets of greenery into neighbourhoods in a way that is both subtle and striking.
Whether you catch a bus daily, walk past these locations on your morning route, or simply enjoy the sight of blooming sedum and wildflower varieties, these shelters invite nature to thrive in the spaces where we live, work and travel.
Two Initiatives, One Vision
Viewed together, the solar panels and living roof shelters form a connected vision: creating a parish that is environmentally responsible, forward-thinking and deeply rooted in community benefit.
- One enhances energy independence and reduces carbon emissions.
- The other boosts biodiversity and improves ecological health.
Both demonstrate how practical, local actions supported by grants, careful planning and sustainable thinking can create a measurable and meaningful impact over time.
Every resident, whether directly or indirectly, stands to benefit from these improvements: through cleaner air, greener streets, energy savings, thriving wildlife and strengthened community facilities.
Your Voice Matters: Help Shape Holybrook’s Greener Future
These projects are only the beginning. A sustainable Parish grows strongest when its residents feel informed, involved and inspired.
We warmly invite you to:
- Join our Community & Environment Committee Meetings
- Attend our Full Council Meetings
- Share your ideas, expertise or environmental observations via our Socials
- Tell us what wildlife or pollinators you spot near the new shelters
- Get involved in future green projects or volunteering opportunities
You can also reach out to the Parish Office if you notice something of interest. It could be photographs, sightings or suggestions that could help us monitor and celebrate the progress of these initiatives.
Your contributions are proof points of your local ownership and ensure that the direction we take reflects the hopes and voices of the community we serve.
A Parish Growing Greener, Together
From sunlight glinting off the Beansheaf roof to bees resting on the sedum of a living shelter, the story of Holybrook’s environmental journey is unfolding every day. These small yet significant changes make our Parish more beautiful, more efficient and more connected to nature. And, as we continue to build on this progress, one thing is certain: a greener Holybrook is a shared achievement made stronger when we shape it together.