Nature project wins battle of the buildings

The judges were unanimous that the project should be recognised at the awards, held earlier this month. In previous years the award has gone to building projects.

It is a testament to the hard work and dedication that a small team of volunteers have put into transforming an area which was once little more than a dumping ground into a beautiful wildlife reserve.

Mr John Hyde, chairman of the Watercress Wildlife Association, said: "We are all really delighted to have recognition from an organisation which we know is seeking to improve the environment around St Albans.

"We've been going for ten years and although it's an ongoing project it's really encouraging to know that what we're doing is being appreciated.

"Over the years we have received an immense amount of moral support from councillors and successive mayors."

Going to an environmental scheme for the first time, the award, presented by St Albans Mayor John Peters, also signals that the natural environment is becoming more widely recognised and appreciated in the area.

The project has transformed the four acres of watercress beds between the River Ver and the old St Albans to Hatfield railway line.

The area, which was once used to cultivate watercress had become largely derelict, with people using the site as a dumping ground.

A group of residents, however, decided to take matters into their own hands, renting the site from St Albans District Council and obtaining a management plan from Herts Groundwork Trust.

Today the site is still going from strength to strength, being cleared of refuse and becoming home to a variety of wildlife and plants thanks to the assocation which now has a membership of around 140 households, mainly from nearby homes.

The awards also commended the new reception area at Sopwell House and The Old Works, a small housing development on a former industrial site.

October 19, 2001 18:23

By Claire Ling