I fitted in a brief visit to Lake Farm this afternoon, and was dismayed to see workers and machinery back on site. The whole of the affected area is now fenced off, including the toddlers playground, and whilst I was there a large digger was uprooting shrubs and bushes.
I walked up to the end of the path (which in the original plans was to be the boundary between Lake Farm and the school) only to find construction is definitely going on across the path. Access is fenced off right up to the park entrance on Botwell Common Road, the one nearest Botwell Lane.
Whilst peering through the fence, two of the workers came over and we started talking about the site. They said they were only doing their jobs, which I had to agree with, but they both also said Lake Farm was the only green space in the borough, that they were building on. One of them even commented how surprised he was considering the council are building not just this school, but another TWO in the area. One of them will be at the old RAF Uxbridge site, and one as of yet undisclosed. He also said three other schools in the area were being extended, so it beggars the original question, why build a school on Lake Farm in the first place ???!?
They also confided the council had chosen new building plans over the original to make room for more car parking spaces, hence the boundary line becoming larger and crossing over the path.
Archaeologists were on site, and did find some artifacts, but nothing of major importance.
On the upside for Lake Farm, but downside for traffic in the area, the site entrance for heavy machinery will be on Botwell Lane, and not Dawley Road.
More permanent wooden fence posts will be put up whilst the construction goes on. The posts will support mesh fences so we can view the progress of the building.
These trees and shrubs wont be there next week.
Workmen in the back ground with a large pallet of wooden stakes.
The new plans include cutting across the path.
The man-made pond is on my left, the new school site on my right. A new path will be built around the site once it is completed.
Elsewhere shrubs are taking on autumnal colour.
Only birds seen during my brief visit were a large mixed flock of Blue Tits, Long-tailed Tits and Chiffchaffs, and a Green Woodpecker flying across.
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