Acer Ecology’s fully licensed ecologists recently carried out a great crested newt (GCN) survey near Swansea.
Great crested newts are fully protected under the UK and European law and are frequently
encountered on development sites. It is an offence to kill, disturb or to damage or destroy their ponds. This protection extends to the habitats which are used by great crested
newts and it is generally assumed that they may be present in terrestrial habitats up to 500m from a breeding pond, depending on habitat quality, connectivity and population size.
Surveys for great crested newt can only be done mid-March to mid-June when great crested newts are present in their breeding ponds. Our licensed GCN specialists utilised the bottle trapping, torching and egg search techniques and found that the water body supported a low population of newts. We were able to work with our client and their architect to make sure that the development went ahead, without directly harming any GCN or adversely affecting the aquatic and terrestrial habitats that they rely on.
Our licensed great crested newt specialists are able to provide great crested newt surveys throughout Swansea including Bishopston,Cadle, Dunvant, Ilston and Overton. We are experienced in the survey, European Protected Species licensing, as well as mitigation design and implementation.
It is crucial to identify the presence of great crested newts at an early stage in the planning process, in order to avoid timely and costly delays.
For more information about great crested newt surveys or any of our other ecological services call us at our head office on 029 2065 0331.
Further information about great crested newts can be found in our articles Get The “Newt” Know How On Great Crested Newt Surveys, Great Crested Newts – How we Can Help You and A Year in the Life of a Great Crested Newt.
