Published: 02 February 2012
by DAN CARRIER

THE controversial £12m project to build new dams on Hampstead Heath will be re-drawn following pressure from the Heath and Hampstead Society.

The Society held a meeting for around 120 members on Tuesday night at the Rosslyn Hill Chapel to discuss  a response to the City of London’s plans to embark on the biggest civil engineering project the Heath has ever seen.

The meeting heard that the original plans, released last year, to rebuild banks around the Heath’s ponds to counter the threat of flash floods and to meet stringent Environment Agency safety laws, were being scrapped – and would now be redesigned to fit with the Heath’s landscape.

Society chairman Tony Hillier said: “The previous plans have been withdrawn and we welcome the fact the City are being open with how they are drawing up the contracts for the works.”

He added that the designs will be “landscape led”.

Heath committee member Jeremy Wright said he was pleased the City had shown a willingness to discuss how to minimise disruption to Heath users and are open to how the works will look when finished.

He said: “We recognise the City have taken a responsible attitude.”

The dams surround the Highgate and Hampstead Ponds.

Research by the Environment Agency says there will be a greater risk of flooding as climate change leads to more volatile weather conditions, and there is a slim chance – around one in 10,000 – that a flash storm could swamp Gospel Oak and Dartmouth Park.