Work has begun at a new housing development to ‘regenerate’ a woodland area on the land.
Demolition of the former Middlesex University Campus in Cat Hill, Cockfosters, started last year to make way for 231 houses to be built by London and Quadrant.
The developers are now starting work to preserve the wooded area on the site and the pond on the boundary of Chase Side, in Southgate.
Stuart Miller, managing director of Quadrant Construction said: “Once completed, the improved landscape at Cat Hill will provide a fantastic feature for local residents and a better natural habitat for wildlife in the area. We are working in close association with the local authority and Natural England as well as dedicated environmental specialists to ensure these works are completed sensitively and to a high standard”.
The aim is to give native species of trees such as the Yellow Flowering Irises and both White and Yellow Water Lilies can be re-introduced.
The site was the centre of a bitter feud between residents surrounding the site and L&Q are claims that habitat on the site would be lost and disputes that the site should not be used to build properties.