Before you can start work on a proposed residential or commercial building project in the UK, it is imperative that you understand the ecology of the site and the surrounding areas. Here at Greenlight, our team of environmental consultancy experts can provide an array of services, including a Great Crested Newt survey.
The great crested newt (GCN) is one of many species protected under UK law. Here’s all you need to know about how and when you should arrange a newt survey to gain planning permission.
What is a Great Crested Newt Survey?
A great crested newt survey is an assessment of your proposed building land that serves a similar function to other protected species surveys like badger surveys, bat surveys, and bird surveys.
Newt surveys should be completed by a professional ecological contractor like Greenlight, and must be conducted in conjunction with European Protected Species (EPS) and Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 legislation. They state that you must not;
- Kill, injure, disturb or capture GCNs,
- Take or destroy a crested newt’s eggs,
- Damage or destroy their breeding sites and resting places,
- Possess, control or transport newts,
- Obstruct or disturb their habitats.
The survey is requested by the Local Authority and used to confirm whether your proposed building works will cause damage to GCNs or their habitats.
When Do I Need a Great Crested Newt Survey?
Ecology surveys like newt surveys are needed in several situations. They are only needed in locations where the Local Authority suspects that GCNs are located nearby. The most common reasons why this may be requested are;
- The project is within 500m of a pond,
- A minor project is within 250m of a pond,
- Historical data shows that newts live or have lived in the area,
- The project is taking place on grassland, woodland, scrubs, or hedgerows,
- Similar species have been located on the site.
Whatever the reason, you must complete the great crested newt survey before applying for planning permission. The report will stay relevant for two to four years depending on the results and should be completed between March and June to monitor the potential presence of GCN, although an assessment of the habitat can be done in any month.
How Does the Great Crested Newt Survey Work?
As with any protected species survey, the great crested newt survey should be completed by an experienced environmental consultancy that knows how to investigate the proposed site and surrounding areas before completing a detailed report for the Local Authority.
A newt survey will generally include two distinct phases, as detailed below;
- Stage 1 – a habitat suitability index (HSI) will determine whether a pond is considered Poor, Below Average, Average, Good or Excellent. The greater the suitability, the greater the likelihood of GCN being present within that pond.
- Stage 2 – further assessment, which can be subdivided into three types:
- 1 – presence/absence surveys involve high powered torches, bottle trapping, and egg searching to monitor the situation over at least four sessions from dawn to dusk. If GCNs are spotted, two additional surveys will be needed to establish the population size.
- 2 – eDNA surveys involve taking a water sample of the pond and sending it off to a laboratory to test for newt DNA within the water, similar to covid tests.
- 3 – District Level Licensing involve a series of financial contributions that are used to offset any impacts from the proposed development. All contributions are ring-fenced to protect GCN at a landscape level.
When the protected species survey identifies an issue, you will either need to draw up dedicated mitigation plans or face a rejected planning application.
If you need a great crested newt survey, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Greenlight today.
