New shop to have 'living roof' (From Braintree and Witham Times)

New shop to have 'living roof'

9:27am Monday 5th October 2009 in News By Nina Morgan, Senior reporter

A new £1.6m food store with a ‘living roof’ is set to open in a village.

The East of England Co-operative store will open in The Street, Hatfield Peverel, at the beginning of December.

It will create about 25 jobs.

The 3,000sq ft store will have a host of eco-friendly credentials including a green roof made from sedum (low maintenance plants with water-storing leaves).

The aim of a sedum roof is to increase oxygenation in the area and provide a habitat for insects and wildlife.

Sedum also has excellent insulating properties and will help reduce noise.

The store will stock more than 3,000 lines and more than 1,000 of these will be from the Co-op’s own brand range.

However, district councillor David Bebb, who represents Hatfield Peverel, said: “I’m a bit concerned about the impact it will have on the three existing convenience stores.

“I would hate to see them put out of business.”

On the other hand, Mr Bebb believed it would save villagers travelling to Witham if they needed to do “a big shop”.