CAMPAIGNERS hope a new pond promising to be a magnet for children and nature lovers will give them more ammunition to derail the high-speed train line.

Members of the Selborne Society, which owns and runs Perivale Wood, plan to create a new freshwater pond in the 27-acre woodland, which shares its southern border with the planned route for High Speed Two (HS2).

Ward councillor Justin Anderson said: "I love it for two reasons: we need to start teaching our kids to respect the environment; and it's another reason to preserve the area from the proposed route of HS2. We've got some great assets in Perivale, and we're going to show people we have something else."

The freshwater pond will add to the existing swamp and woodland ponds to create a new wetland habitat to attract insects, snails, frogs and fish, and to encourage more visitors.

Will Thompson-Ambrose, a trustee of the society, said: "We want to increase the number of children coming to the reserve to do pond-dipping and hands-on things they cannot do at school. It's important for the reserve to give back to the community, not just the members."

However, the planned pond is also a response to the concerns for the wood-land and residents in neighbouring Selborne Gardens and Horsenden Lane South, Perivale, who could face extreme noise from the 125mph trains ploughing along new tracks beside the existing Central line.

Nic Ferriday, management officer at Perivale Wood, said: "We have a meadow with many plants along the railway embankment. Hopefully, it shouldn't damage it too much. But we're very concerned. It's as damaging to households as to ourselves.

"It will be far noisier than the Underground trains, so we'll need some shielding from that. It's fairly quiet now and you can hear the bird-song. If the birds can't hear each other, it can interfere with populations."

Bruce Heywood, of Ealing Park Lodge, in Horsenden Lane South, said: "There's no doubt whatsoever the train is going to have an adverse effect on the wood. We're right next to the railway here, and they're going to widen the embankment on the north side. If it comes through Perivale, I don't think people know how widespread the effect will be."

The Department for Transport plans to address residents' concerns in a consultation that ends on June 29. To submit a query, visit http://high-speedrail.dft.gov.uk.

For more information about the pond, visit www.perivalewood.purple cloud.net.