Last year saw the Dolphin Shopping Centre planting a solid foundation for its green plans, and the team working at the centre has further aims to develop its sustainability for 2017.
In 2016, the Centre created a unique garden on the Dolphin’s roof top. This included special flower beds to encourage the growth of vegetables and herbs. They also had the special addition of a bee hive – to create the centre’s very own pots of honey.
In 2016, the Dolphin Shopping Centre was acknowledged for its work towards becoming a sustainable centre when it was awarded a prestigious Green Apple Award. John Grinnell, centre manager, commented: “Being an environmentally sustainable shopping centre is hugely important for us – we’ve spent years dedicating our time to developing specific areas and winning the Green Apple was a fantastic achievement.
“We hope to develop our sustainability further in 2017 by developing our roof top garden in conjunction with Chestnut Nursery which aims to improve mental well-being through the healing nature of horticulture.”
Other plans at the centre include the introduction of a ‘living wall’ – walled areas which contain plants and herbs to bring more greenery to the area.
John added: “By introducing living walls around the centre and Falkland Square, we hope to make the most of our space and make it a more pleasant experience for our shoppers while being environmentally conscious.
“In the future it would be great to reach out to community groups and charities to get the public involved in sustainability projects to boost health and well-being.”