District Licensing for great crested newts – 5 Years In

The District Licensing Scheme is designed based on robust scientific data, it is very important to ensure the outcomes are evidence based and delivering a positive contribution to great crested newts and wider biodiversity in the areas we work. Dr Andrew Buxton NatureSpace’s Head of Science relished in the opportunity to present on how the scheme works to a group of academically minded ecologists, and we give our thanks to CIEEM for inviting us.

Andrew was pleased to share findings from the first five years of District Licensing. His presentation highlighted that the scheme not only meets its legal goals but also leads to a statistically significant improvement in the conservation status of great crested newts at the landscape level.

At the time of the meeting, District Licensing for great crested newts—delivered by NatureSpace Partnership and The Newt Conservation Partnership—had been in operation for six years.

Following the 2023 monitoring programme, an evaluation phase began to assess the first five years of the scheme’s impact. This review focused on the outcomes for great crested newts, developers, local authorities, and the broader environment and is still ongoing. Andrew presented data on habitat loss and gain, pond occupancy in newly created habitats, and how these figures compared to expected background occupancy levels for the region.

Andrew also delved into a more detailed analysis of key Favourable Conservation Status objectives, looking at the results of actions taken under the District Licence, focussing on the local-scale effects in areas surrounding both impact and compensation sites.