GCN mitigation query

 

I just wanted some advice on whether a great cresed newt survey and mitigation is required in this instance.

 

Client has informed me that a survey was done last year,but can't provide any details to me, and apparently they found nothing. However, data suggests that there are established populations in the area, and recent data too.

 

The work would involve creating a driveway through a gap in a hedgerow that is 2 m x 1 m but no ground works involved such as digging or ground disturbance. It would really involve utting building materials on top of the ground such as gravel, shingle, etc so not really disturbing the habitat too much.

 

My question is whether we would need to apply for a licence as it is possible that newts could forage along the hedgerow and the work could potentially result in an offence as obstruction or disturbance of great crested newt habitat.  It is such a small area that they would like to develop and the rest of the hedgerow is going to be retained. There is already a suitable gap in the hedgerow so no need for veg clearance, in fact they had already felled a tree before we came and assessed the site.

 

Any ideas on how to mitigate this and whether we would need to do a terrestrial search for foraging newts along this hedgerow?

 

 

 

 

The "disturbance of a significant group of animals" was in the 2007 Habs Regs changes and was removed in 2009. The <5 or <10 disturbance limits in relation to Great Crested Newts were also removed then.

 

Irrespective of all of that, the offences make it illegal to deliberately capture a great crested newt (to move it out of the way as part of a hand search for example), or to damage or destroy a resting place.

 

As Rob says above, then, it's mainly dependent on the population, distance of the area from the ponds, and the time of year. If it's compacted ground and there are no cracks or voids etc, it may be possible to do it in the depths of winter when nothing is moving around, and then a licence probably won't be needed. Provided that the works you're doing won't create a barrier to dispersal that is...

 

Thanks for this.

 

The barrier to dispersal is the one thing that I am concerned about because the hedgerow is such good habitat for foraging newts,and the habitats are pretty much connected together.

 

The ground is compacted and as far as I know there aren't any cracks so not a problem with hibernating animals. The tree stump will be ground down before September, (the tree was felled recently).

 

The distance from the nearest pond is about 300 m but there have been records of GCN within 250 m of the site. I don't know if these were recorded from ponds, but guessing that they would be. The data from the desktop study seems to indicate that GCN are present within the general area and have been recorded from a few sites nearby. I don't have any data on population densities but from the records I would say that it looks pretty good.

 

Thanks for the link too

 

It would normally be flagged up if there is a reasonable likelihood of them being there and affected by the development. I think this one meets both of those requirements as there is definately a strong likelihood of them being present and using the hedgerow. If they are using the hedgerow at the moment, and we put a barrier in the middle, then they would be affected by the development too.

 

Will keep you posted