Council secures over half a million pounds to make vital improvements at Aquadrome

Three Rivers District Council has been successful in a bid to the HS2 Colne Valley Regional Park Panel. The Panel is an independent panel that secured funding during the HS2 bill process, through petitioning. The panel has approved £510,463 funding to help protect and enhance biodiversity at the site as well as make accessibility improvements.

The funding application is part of the council’s wider improvement plans for the Aquadrome and will help secure additional external funding to fulfill the ambitions of the entire project.

The HS2 Colne Valley Regional Park panel’s support will enable the project's aims, which include improving and enhancing the habitats such as the wet woodlands and the chalk river, improving the accessibility through the pinetum area and engaging a hydrological study to help in the management and understanding of how to manage the flood plain to keep the site safe and secure.

Residents will see improvements in the area between the River Colne and Bury Lake over the coming years, such as along the riverbanks, seating, a boardwalk into the pinetum, interpretation boards and improved signage.

Working with the council’s delivery partner, Hertfordshire County Council's Countryside Management Service, care will be given to keep the Aquadrome’s natural beauty and its Local Nature Reserve status at the forefront of all work.

Cllr Chris Lloyd, Lead Member for Leisure, said: “The council is delighted to have the support from the HS2 Colne Valley Regional Park Panel and we wish to thank them. The Aquadrome is an important local nature reserve not only for our residents and children to enjoy for walks, play and recreational use, but also for our wildlife who call the site their home.

“The funding will enable us to make significant improvements both in terms of the site’s biodiversity and improving its access that will benefit both residents and wildlife.

“This is important funding as it will also help to secure further external funding for this ambitious and worthwhile project to enhance, nurture and protect the Aquadrome.

“The council wants to achieve the balance between recreational use and the natural habitat. There are unique habitats and we want to understand more about the importance of the environmental and historical heritage of the site.”