A RESEARCH and technology centre is developing its lake as a habitat for wildlife.

The body of water is an attractive feature of the Wilton Centre near Redcar, east Cleveland, which is home to a large number of multinational companies.

Over the years, the expanse of water in front of the main building has been developed for wildlife and now supports a wide range of aquatic plants as well as abundant insect life, which in turn support fish and eels.

Workman and Partners, which manages the centre, has been working with the Environment Agency to assess the extent of the wildlife and introduce a scheme to improve conditions even further.

An initial survey revealed no fish apart from a few sticklebacks, which had caused an unnatural ecological balance.

As a result, the Environment Agency stocks the lake with fish which it has rescued from polluted water, lake drain-downs or other de-stocking exercises in the Teesside area.

These fish will then be left to grow and breed and after a couple of years the offspring can be taken out and used to stock other waters where fish stocks have been damaged due to fish kills or pollution.

During netting as part of the process, an eel was caught which was estimated to be 20 years old, in excellent condition and weighed in at six and a half pounds. The creature was returned to the water immediately and it is believed that there may be more eels in the lake.

Part of the Environment Agency advice included stocking the lake with Crucian carp and tench, which are important to ensure that the eco-system maintains the correct balance.

To ensure that equilibrium, some of the carp have been taken away to a fish farm in Nottingham for spawning after which fish have been returned.

Work has also been done to enhance the variety of wildflowers and shrubs ringing the lake, which visitors pass on their way to the main entrance of the centre.

Centre manager Dave Willis said: "These arrangements give positive results for all - the Environment Agency has a home for fish they have rescued from polluted waters elsewhere and which can be subsequently used to stock other affected waters, and the ecological balance of the Wilton Centre lake will be restored and the growth of algae controlled."

Elsewhere on the complex, a wide range of flowers and bushes have been planted as part of a landscaping programme for the surrounding research wings.

Published: 09/09/2003