Westminster student volunteers contribute to environmental conservation of River Lea’s Cody Dock in East London

The Report is the result of thousands of environmental volunteers, including Westminster students, created to ensure the environmental conservation of the local area, and to be used by researchers to apply a large scale of community level science in other locations. The contribution of the local people has added to the biological records of national open-source provisions and has helped build a better image of the local area’s biodiversity. The report also offers recommendations that can be enacted by stakeholders to ensure the continued protection of Tidal Lea. The report illustrates the remarkable biodiversity in and around the Tidal Lea, a once heavily industrialised river. 

The restoration works include the removal of silt containing historic pollutants and the interception of polluted surface water of the Lower Lea River. The river has undergone major changes over the past 250 years, from marshlands to agriculture areas in the 1860s. Today the land is used for industrial actions, while Cody Dock has recently started to support residential use with the planned opening of eight moorings and other buildings in the future. The aim is to increase green infrastructure and biodiversity, recreate priority habitats, improve the water quality of River Lea, and rely on sustainable energy sources, such as solar and hydro power.

Talking about the volunteering project, Corinna Dean said: “The students were highly motivated to be part of this co-production project between the client, Cody Dock, the University and the community which produced a Live Project with positive bio-diversity outputs.”

Learn more about the School of Architecture + Cities at the University of Westminster.