In October 2020, Hillingdon Outdoor Activities Centre (HOAC) was forced to move from its home in Harvil Road to allow work on the HS2 project.
The council is now proposing to build a new high quality, water sports and outdoor activity centre at Broadwater Lake in Harefield that would house both the HOAC and the Broadwater Sailing Club, already incumbent at the site. Gerrard's Cross and Uxbridge Angling Society would remain incumbent on the site.
The proposed facility will provide water sports, such as kayaking, rowing and sailing as well as a range of outdoor activities, including camping, zip wire, high ropes, angling and wildlife conservation.
The development would be carbon neutral and include a solar energy system that is hoped could help power nearby homes and businesses.
The site is a registered Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to the broad range of wildlife found there, including waterfowl, otters, reptiles and amphibians and a wide variety of insect species.
Consultations
A public consultation on the proposals took place in February 2023.
The consultation documents can be found here:
Planning
The proposals are expected to be submitted shortly and to come before the council's Planning Committee before the end of the year.
Work on site today
Numerous ecological surveys have been undertaken to determine the nature and extent of the wildlife on the site and how it can be improved, and nature encouraged.
In February 2023 work was completed to clear buddleia, a non-native invasive species which can out compete native fauna and is generally considered to harm bees and butterflies. The current activity on-site is the disposal of that buddleia, and this work is being undertaken with the licenced permission of Natural England.
The council is committed to protecting wildlife and biodiversity and respecting the site's status as a SSSI. No planning decision has been made and no development works are being progressed.