New scheme set to help great crested newts on development sites

The creatures are legally protected – and if a developer wants to build on land where great crested newts may be affected survey reports and mitigation plans are needed.

An alternative scheme to the current measures of dealing with great crested newts on development sites has now been proposed.

The District Level Licensing scheme is being run by the NatureSpace Partnership, a group of charities and commercial bodies, which will undertake tasks including survey work and computer modelling, preparing licence applications to Natural England and creating initial areas of habitat.

On Thursday Stafford Borough Council’s cabinet agreed for the authority to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NatureSpace Partnership.

Councillor Frances Beatty, cabinet member for economic development and planning, said: “It will help developers to deal with the issue of potential newts on the sites they are using.

“From the point of view of conservation it gives added strength to the conservation organisations to make sure that the newts are protected. It is a Government requirement.”

A report to Thursday’s cabinet meeting said: “Under the current licensing approach, developers who want to build on land which is home to great crested newts need to trap and relocate the species before starting work. Seasonal restrictions, where these are not effectively planned for, can lead to delays and create uncertainty over the costs and scheduling of planned development.

“The new district-level licensing approach seeks to redress this balance, focusing on provision of habitat in areas where surveys show it will most effectively connect and expand great crested newt populations. This new approach will increase populations at a county level.

“Under the scheme Stafford Borough Council, after approving a planning application, would be enabled to use district licensing where developers have contributed to creation of habitat elsewhere. This presents a ‘fast track’ option for developers that avoids the delays associated with the standard approach.

“By signing the Memorandum of Understanding the Council will hold an ‘organisational licence’ from Natural England that allows it to grant authorisations for works affecting great crested newts, making planning applications and protected species licensing an integrated process. On low priority sites, surveys will not be necessary and the developer will simply make a contribution for habitat creation elsewhere.”

The new scheme is a voluntary one, meaning developers can choose instead to go down the current route of surveying, report preparation, planning application, licence application, habitat creation, fencing, trapping and relocation of newts.

Funding for the new scheme will also provide for a newt officer to run and promote the project. Staffordshire County Council is expected to be the hosting authority for the post locally.

NatureSpace Partnership is already operating a similar scheme in the South Midlands with seven local planning authorities. The scheme that Stafford Borough will be involved in is set to include other districts and boroughs in Staffordshire as well as the county county and Stoke-on-Trent’s city authority.