30/05/2024
When do you need a survey for Great Crested Newts (GCN)? ๐ฆ
If the developer has chosen not to use a DLL (district level licensing) where one exists, they should complete a survey if any of the following criteria apply:
1. Distribution and historical records suggest GCN may be present
2. Thereโs a suitable water body such as a pond or ditch up to 500 metres of the development, even if it only holds water for some of the year
3. The development site includes refuges, such as log piles, rubble, grassland, scrub, woodland or hedgerows up to 500 metres of suitable aquatic habitats (static or slow moving water body)
Surveys up to 250 metres are usually sufficient, but developers may need to increase this to 500 metres if there are no obvious barriers to newts dispersing into the wider environment.
Absence of a record does not mean there are no GCN. It could mean there is no survey data available for that location.
*Information taken from the government website and is correct as of 30.05.24*