Since 2018, NatureSpace’s District Licensing Scheme has been working to streamline newt licensing for developers and improve the conservation outcomes for newts. Today we announce the latest improvement – the introduction of free ‘Upfront Assessment Summaries’, offering developers an assessment of their site impacts and detailing all District Licensing costs and requirements – without a charge.
Traditionally, great crested newt licensing has been fraught with difficulties for developers, ecologists, and planning authorities. Not least, requirements such as seasonal surveys, on-site habitat works and uncertainty on timescales for development activities, which often lead to extra expense and delays.
Free Upfront Assessment Summaries have been introduced to provide cost certainty from the outset, providing developers with all the information they need to join the scheme. This free assessment route has a turnaround time of six weeks – which is still significantly quicker than the standard licence application route. (Please note the free assessment summary cannot be used to support your planning application, it is only for use as a quantification of costs and requirements of the District Licence).
Dr Tom Tew, NatureSpace’s CEO commented “We are always looking for ways to make the route into the scheme as easy as possible. A full Report is still needed to accompany a planning application, but we do understand that paying for a full Report can seem unnecessary. We hope the free assessment, which will set out and guarantee all future costs, gives people the chance to see how cost effective joining the scheme will be, without having to pay upfront for that information. I’d urge all developers who are worried about impacting newts or their habitats to come to us for a free assessment – there’s nothing to lose!”.
The quickest way for developers to enter the scheme remains submission of an enquiry to NatureSpace and payment of the relevant first stage fee – which guarantees a full impact Report – within 10 working days (the Report will also outline a proportionate second-stage fee, if it is required).
