A popular lake in Milton Keynes is being restored in a bid to reserve the green space and improve biodiversity.
Milton Keynes City Council is restoring and improving the network of ponds at the Blue Lagoon Local Nature Reserve in Bletchley.
The new project, in collaboration with the Newt Conservation Partnership, will be fully funded using financial contributions from housing developers in Milton Keynes.
A new pond is also set to be created as well as the restoration, with opportunities for additional new ponds to be investigated.
The work will help a wider range of aquatic plants become established, which in turn creates a better space for great crested newts (a protected species with dwindling numbers in the wild) as well as other amphibians and small animals freshwater wildlife.
The work at the former brickworks site is expected to take around a fortnight, starting yesterday, 9th January. Disruption will be kept to a minimum, and paths will be open to ensure that local people can still visit and enjoy as much of the reserve as possible.
Interim Cabinet Member for the Public Realm, Cllr Paul Trendall said: "The Blue Lagoon rightly celebrated for its biodiversity as it’s an incredibly rich place for flora and fauna. It’s in need of some extra care so the conditions are right for creatures to breed, and the work should also make the reserve a more pleasant place to visit.
"Despite clearing the lakes, we still ask people not to swim in them – please stick to swimming pools as the safer option."
Plans to tackle anti-social behaviour and boost safety at the lake were announced back in September, following a spate of anti-social behaviour and arson at the Lagoon.
The local authority has also said that it wishes to boost safety by imposing certain restrictions at the Blue Lagoon from next summer due to people swimming in the lake without supervision.
