Let's Talk Great Crested Newts

Great Crested Newts are protected by law in the UK. Great Crested Newts are therefore a material consideration in planning. If you are working on a site with ponds, or there are ponds within 250-500m of the site, you may need to have a Great Crested Newt survey undertaken to determine whether this species is present. It is important to consider Great Crested Newts early because the accepted survey period is very narrow.

The first step is generally having a look at the ponds and any background records to see if the pond is suitable. If the pond is suitable or Great Crested Newts are known to be present in the area, you will likely need more detailed surveys. There are two types of Great Crested Newt survey which are generally accepted as appropriate to establish whether Great Crested Newts are present: 

Traditional Great Crested Newt Surveys: This approach usually involves a combination of a number of different survey methods, including bottle-trapping, torching, hand-netting and searching for eggs. A total of four surveys are undertaken, with an additional two surveys undertaken in Great Crested Newts are found.  Surveys should be undertaken between mid-March and mid-June, with half the surveys undertaken between mid-April and mid-May.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) Surveys: This involves taking water samples from ponds and sending them off for DNA analysis to see if Great Crested Newt DNA can be identified. The optimal survey period for eDNA surveys is 15th April - 30th June. Samples can be obtained outside of this period to confirm presence but cannot be used to infer absence. Be aware that where Great Crested Newts are identified, a population estimate survey may then be needed (i.e. six traditional surveys) although this element can often be undertaken post-planning.

If Great Crested Newts are found, a licence will likely be required before the project can commence. This could be a Natural England licence, or in some areas it may be possible to join a District-level licence.

In areas which operate a District-level Licence, it may be possible to avoid surveys altogether. This can be a useful option where the survey season has been missed or for projects which are working to very tight timescales, but is often more costly.