Great Crested Newt Surveys: eDNA & Mitigation
Delivering expert eDNA water sampling and traditional pond surveys to confirm species presence and manage complex environmental legislative compliance.
E3 Ecology.
Expert surveys for environmental legal standards.
Great crested newts (GCNs) are protected under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations (2017) and Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended). It is an offence to intentionally kill, injure or take great crested newts or intentionally or recklessly disturb great crested newts, or damage, destroy or obstruct access to any place used by the animal for shelter or protection.
Generally GCNs breed within pond and other waterbodies in the spring and early summer, but spend the rest of the year on land, usually within 250-500m of the breeding pond. This means that they can be found on development sites even if no ponds are present on site.
Although survey and licensing requirements have evolved in recent years with the introduction of District Level Licensing (DLL) across many areas of England, the presence of great crested newts must be assessed to either confirm likely absence or determine whether further surveys, mitigation and/or licensing is required, should they be present. It is crucial to consider them as part of the planning process and planning permission will not generally be granted without some form of survey and assessment if there are ponds nearby.
What do GCN surveys involve?
Aerial photographs and Ordnance Survey maps can be reviewed to identify waterbodies within 500m of the site. Where ponds are identified, a number of different surveys or licensing procedures may be suitable:
Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) assessment
A daytime inspection of the pond to assess a range of parameters and use these to establish the overall suitability of the pond to support breeding GCN.
eDNA surveys
A single survey visit to collect water samples from ponds which will be sent to a certified laboratory to provide an assessment of presence/absence.
Traditional Pond Surveys
Using bottle trapping, torchlight survey, egg searching and netting across 4-6 overnight surveys. This option is required if applying for a full European Protected Species (EPS) mitigation licence from Natural England. Post-development monitoring surveys may be required, following licensable works being conducted.
DLL
If the site is located within a DLL area, it is possible to obtain a licence without the need for surveys, though typically an eDNA survey is also conducted prior to this to confirm the presence/absence of GCN.
We can provide more information on the advantages and disadvantages of this approach if required.
When can Great Crested Newt surveys be carried out?
Great crested newt surveys are time constrained to key periods when newts are present within their breeding ponds. If you think you may need a great crested newt survey, please get in touch as soon as possible to avoid delays. Key survey timings are as follows:
- HSI :year-round
- eDNA surveys: mid-April to June
- Traditional pond surveys: mid-March to June
- DLL: year-round
How Can E3 Ecology Help?
E3 Ecology has a number of licensed great crested newt ecologists, holding licences for England and Scotland, with experience of a wide range of projects. The team also has extensive experience of mitigation and compensation design for great crested newts as well as a large number of mitigation licence applications and amphibian translocation schemes. We have also supported a range of projects of varying complexity in obtaining DLLs, including assisting clients on obtaining some of the first DLLs in the country. E3 will tailor the extent and type of survey to the site and the development proposals, ensuring a cost-effective, pragmatic approach and early identification of key constraints.
If you think you require or have been asked for a GCN survey, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and we will be happy to help.