It was a pleasure to meet with Lesley Davies and Tim Hall from the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust at Broadwater Lake this morning.
Broadwater Lake is the biggest of the four lakes within the Mid Colne Valley Site of Special Scientific Interest and one of the largest expanses of water in the area. I was interested to learn how the lake supports an impressive number of waterbirds, including the great crested grebe which we were fortunate enough to spot on the visit. Further support is provided by the many volunteers who work hard to ensure that the environment is well-maintained for wildlife and bird conservation. It is, however, frustrating to see that HS2 works have impacted the nature reserve and means that some parts cannot be preserved as they once were.
On this topic, we also discussed Hillingdon’s plans for the long-awaited new HOAC site (Hillingdon Outdoor Activities Centre). It is important that the development is sympathetic to the natural environment, and that any further disruption is minimised. With this in mind, I have facilitated a meeting between the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust and Hillingdon Council to discuss, and will work to ensure that this impact is fully considered in the proposals.
