Hi,
I'm on Essex clay and have similar animals in the garden.
Digging a pond is a great idea and the animals will benefit. It's an entire subject in itself but common newts will benefit from just about any type and size of pond you choose. Perhaps best to decide what sort of pond appeals or fits the budget and more specific advice could be given.
The mdf could be replaced by some corrugated tin, or bitumen roofing felt. We use this to survey for the animals and they last a good time. This will give you a place where you can look to see animals on a regular basis.
An artificial hibernaculum would be a great benefit on the clay. Essentially it would have a center made-up from old building rubble or hardcore. This is then capped with soil (spoils from the pond makes sense). You can leave some of the rubble exposed to provide a way in, or wait and small mammals will form tunnels to the central core.
I top off my hibernation banks in the garden with logs and a mixture of brambles and willow cuttings to give plenty of hiding places. I have two that I built. One out in the open sun for reptiles, another in the shade which benefits amphibians.
Putting in a compost heap will benefit the slow worms and grass snakes if they are about. (and be of great benefit to you for the allotment).
In all the key thing is to avoid tidiness by letting some areas overgrow with weeds where you can, leave things like plant pots lying about and even old tyres, as they all can provide homes for animals.
My garden is split between regimented rows of veggies and a very wild wildlife garden, often very overgrown with weeds, it has the pond, hibernation banks and the compost heap tucked out of site. I'm in the process of renovating the pond and planning on using a clay lining which I'll post up some info on in the next month or so.
Hope that gives a start, I'm sure others will add information to my brief answer.
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