Great Crested Newts receive protection under UK and European legislation. Under this legislation it is illegal to recklessly disturb, injure or kill Great Crested Newts and damage or destroy their habitat.

At Keystone we employ licensed Great Crested Newt specialists to advise our clients on the complexities of the law and the resulting constraints for any given scheme. Non-compliance with the law can lead to prosecution and a jail sentence of up to 2 years and/or a fine of up to £5000.

Survey and Assessment

Licensed surveyors from Keystone can carry out all approved survey methodologies and can devise alternative survey techniques if the need arises. We undertake surveys for a wide variety of development, conservation and research schemes.

Our surveyors have extensive experience with the following standard survey techniques:

• Bottle trapping
• Torching
• Netting
• Egg searches
• Drift fencing and pit traps/carpet tiles

Licence Applications

Development activities that may result in the disturbance and/or loss of Great Crested Newts and their habitat must be licensed. At Keystone we specialise in the design, application and implementation of European Protected Species licenses.

Our close relationship with licensing authorities and our experience of developing accepted mitigation schemes ensures our applications will be approved.

Impact Assessment

Impact assessment is required at various scales and is fundamental to the design of a successful mitigation strategy. We have undertaken impact assessments for Great Crested Newts that range from concise reports for small scale planning applications to the ecology section of an ES for large scale projects.

Mitigation

Great Crested Newt mitigation strategies are generally licensed and must therefore be designed and implemented to exacting standards. Development programmes can be seriously affected if mitigation work is not carried out in accordance with licence conditions and at an appropriate time of year. Receptor sites must be constructed at least six months, preferably one year, prior to translocation to allow ponds to become established.

Our expertise covers:

• Search for and selection of suitable receptor sites
• Design and creation of ponds and terrestrial habitat including hibernation sites
• Provision of advise on the timing of works that may affect Great Crested Newts
• Design of capture, translocation and exclusion strategies
• Capture and translocation
• Production of phasing plans for activities that will impact upon Great Crested Newts
• Tool box talks and contractor briefings
• Licensed supervision of works
• Pre-works surveys and destructive searches
• Rescue and relocation of Great Crested Newts
• Licensed supervision for pond and terrestrial habitat creation
• Preparation of management and monitoring plans