Natural England is to implement a new approach to the conservation of great crested newts across the country, following a pilot in Surrey.
The move was announced in the government’s housing white paper, published yesterday. Delays to development caused by the presence of great crested newts, a European protected species, have been cited by housebuilders as a ‘significant impediment’ to building homes that have received planning permission, according to the paper.
Government conservation advisor Natural England has been trialling a new method of protecting the species from development with Woking Borough Council.
This replaces site-by-site licensing with a new system of plan-level licensing, with surveys and habitat compensation undertaken at the district level by Natural England and the local authority. Developers can buy into these projects, rather than the current system of undertaking individual site surveys, provide on-site mitigation and seek an individual site licence from Natural England.
The new system will see great crested newt habitat enhanced or created prior to any development taking place, saving developers time and money, and making newt populations more healthy and resilient, the government claims.
The government is to support the implementation with new funding, but the amount is yet to be finalised, according to a spokeswoman from Natural England.
Andrew Sells, chairman of Natural England‘ssaid that government support for the approach was ‘a ringing endorsement’ of Natural England’s work to modernise the licensing of protected species.
‘Populations of great crested newts can struggle when they become isolated. Creating connected habitats across the country is the single most positive thing we can do for their survival, by allowing them to spread naturally,’ he said.
Housing and planning minister Gavin Barwell said: ‘This new approach to managing great crested newts will not only ensure the continued protection of this rare species and its habitat, but will safeguard developers from the delays, costs and uncertainty which have so often restricted the job of building new homes.’
Tony Gent, chief executive of charity Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, said that traditional regulations and planning rules have often failed to provide long term conservation benefits for great crested newts.
‘This new initiative provides an opportunity for real gains for great crested newts, by improving the way that regulations are applied,’ he said.
Stephen Trotter, director of the Wildlife Trusts England, also welcomed the new approach. ‘We strongly agree that everyone’s priority should be to create new, joined-up habitats which will help the population of this fantastic species to recover.’
The housing white paper also proposes strengthening the protection of ancient woodland in the planning system, to the same level as that of sites of special scientific interest, national parks and green belt. Conservation charity the Woodland Trust has been lobbying for this change for years.
Beccy Speight, chief executive of the Woodland Trust, said: ‘If these proposals are properly implemented we would expect to see the 709 ancient woods currently under threat reduce in number, without hampering progress to meet the huge need for house building highlighted today.’
A survey of 500 planners carried out by the trust has also found that more than two-thirds are not using official guidance to advise them of the value of ancient woods and trees when considering development proposals.
The poll also found that only 15% are aware of the ancient woodland inventory, which identifies areas of woodland that are hundreds of years old.
