|
Title: Great Crested Newts - which crop up in a lot of development including rail Post by: grahame on November 26, 2019, 06:37:27 It seems almost routine that the question "what about Great Crested Newts" is asked at almost any development - including rail projects (which is why I am posting this up here). At times they seem to add significant paperwork and delays to project that people would just like done. An there is certain puzzlement at the apparently contradictory empirical evidence that they are endangered and need significant protection, yet at the same time they seem to crop up on just about every major project.
From Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (https://www.arc-trust.org/great-crested-newt) Quote Where to find them Great crested newts are widely distributed throughout lowland Great Britain, and absent from Ireland. In the last century great crested newts have declines across Europe, mainly as a result of pond loss and deterioration. Protection Due to enormous declines in range and abundance in the last century, the great crested newt is strictly protected by British and European law which makes it an offence to: kill, injure, capture or disturb them; damage or destroy their habitat; and to possess, sell or trade. This law refers to all great crested newt life stages, including eggs. The page includes a map showing that Great Crested Newts have recently been recorded in most 10km squares i the south east of England and heartland and the north east, with significnat pockets around the Lake District and Solway Firth and the scottish lowlands and a smaller pocket around the Moray Firth. There is a fundraiser on the page inviting you to "Sponsor the Great Crested Newt ... Help safeguard the future of great crested newts, whose habitats are threatened by developments in the UK." Been running for a year, but falling well short of its target. From the .gov.uk site (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/great-crested-newts-protection-surveys-and-licences) Quote What you must not do Things that would cause you to break the law include: * capturing, killing, disturbing or injuring great crested newts deliberately * damaging or destroying a breeding or resting place * obstructing access to their resting or sheltering places (deliberately or by not taking enough care) * possessing, selling, controlling or transporting live or dead newts, or parts of them * taking great crested newt eggs You could get an unlimited fine and up to 6 months in prison for each offence if you’re found guilty. Activities that can harm great crested newts Activities that can affect great crested newts include: * maintaining or restoring ponds, woodland, scrub or rough grassland * restoring forest areas to lowland heaths * ploughing close to breeding ponds or other bodies of water * removing dense vegetation and disturbing the ground * removing materials like dead wood piled on the ground * excavating the ground, for example to renovate a building * filling in or destroying ponds or other water bodies Building and development work can harm great crested newts and their habitats, for example if it: * removes habitat or makes it unsuitable * disconnects or isolates habitats, such as by splitting it up * changes habitats of other species, reducing the newts’ food sources * increases shade and silt in ponds or other water bodies used by the newts * changes the water table * introduces fish, which will eat newt eggs or young * increases the numbers of people, traffic and pollutants in the area or the amount of chemicals that run off into ponds In many cases you should be able to avoid harming the newts, damaging or blocking access to their habitats by adjusting your plans. Contact an ecologist for more information about how to avoid harming the newts. If you can’t avoid this, you can apply for a mitigation licence from Natural England. You’ll need expert help from an ecologist Title: Re: Great Crested Newts - which crop up in a lot of development including rail Post by: CyclingSid on November 26, 2019, 07:18:03 Isn't sponsoring THE Great Crested Newt a bit iffy at election time?
Title: Re: Great Crested Newts - which crop up in a lot of development including rail Post by: onthecushions on November 26, 2019, 10:59:19 Not in the land that begat Gussie Finknottle. Tinketty Tonk! OTC Title: Re: Great Crested Newts - which crop up in a lot of development including rail Post by: Bmblbzzz on November 26, 2019, 11:31:51 Apparently the great crested newt, Triturus cristatus, is also known as the northern newt. Which is all very well, but what we're interested in here is the great western newt.
Title: Re: Great Crested Newts - which crop up in a lot of development including rail Post by: Umberleigh on November 27, 2019, 17:47:38 Think of them as a barometer species.
The evidence for climate change is now overwhelming and destruction of our native flora and fauna will eventually result in one thing: our own demise. Protecting the newts means that we protect a our natural water courses and endangered amphibians and the whole ecosystem around them. Usually quite easily done once you’ve reigned in the rapacious developers. Personally, I don’t want the UK to become like China where rampant, unchecked development has poisoned the natural water table to the extent that the entire country over over one billion could run out of fresh water within two decades. And that sort of situation could start a war. https://www.ft.com/content/3ee05452-1801-11e8-9376-4a6390addb44 This page is printed from the "Coffee Shop" forum at http://gwr.passenger.chat which is provided by a customer of Great Western Railway. Views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that content provided contravenes our posting rules ( see http://railcustomer.info/1761 ). The forum is hosted by Well House Consultants - http://www.wellho.net |