Padnall Lake to be cleaned ahead of housing development in Little Heath

Perch, carp and eels were found in the lake which is next to Eastern Avenue (Credit: MEM Fisheries/J Murphy and Sons)

A major clean-up of Padnall Lake is being carried out before 81 homes are built alongside it.

Barking and Dagenham Council commissioned J Murphy & Sons to develop the properties as part of a wider project to create 250 affordable homes in the borough. 

Fishery management experts, MEM Fisheries, have built a dam in the lake to ensure 178 fish can live in one half of it while they clean the other. 

A dam was made to protect the fish (Credit: MEM Fisheries/J Murphy and Sons)

They used disinfected nets and electro-fishing to relocate 41 perch, 7 carp, 126 sticklebacks and four eels to the other side of the dam. No harm was done to the wildlife during the process. 

MEM will now start draining the lake so they can remove dumped items such as motorbikes and bicycles. They will also be removing silt, mud and overgrown vegetation.

Community engagement co-ordinator, Beth Cross, said: “We recognise the importance of the lake to residents and are committed to carrying out improvements to enhance its biodiversity and help wildlife thrive.

“We will also be providing better access so that the local community can enjoy visiting the area once again. I hope it will inspire people to take an active interest in the environment and local wildlife.”

Four eels live in the lake (Credit: MEM Fisheries/J Murphy and Sons)

Jessica Biggs, from J Murphy & Sons, added: “We are so pleased to be a part of regenerating Padnall Lake and conserving the vast array of wildlife that inhabits it.

“These works directly align with our core value of ‘protecting the environment’, allowing us to create a space for species to flourish and for current and future residents to enjoy.”

Motorbikes and bicycles have been found in the lake (Credit: MEM Fisheries/J Murphy and Sons)

MEM will drain and desilt the other side of the lake once the first side is done. 

The work is expected to be completed in spring and residents will be able to get involved with the final planting and landscaping of the area. 

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