Licensing for great crested newts has gained a reputation for being slow and complex, but our District Licensing Scheme allows you to gain your own District Licence and steer developers smoothly through the planning system when it comes to this protected species.
In a nutshell, we run a Natural England-approved assessment and once a developer enters our scheme, we issue them with a certificate which means they have met all of their legal obligations for great crested newts. The local planning authority then provides written authorisation to the developer confirming they can use the council’s District Licence and the developer can start site works. Once the developer is on site there are no surprises, if newts are found they are covered to move them to a safe location and carry on with work – keeping development on track.
All of our local planning authority partners have a dedicated District Licensing Officer (employed by NatureSpace) to provide impartial advice by helping planning departments guide developers through the District Licence process. Our Operations team are here to help and support you every step of the way, including weekly and monthly ‘drop in sessions’.
All of our habitat compensation is delivered by the Newt Conservation Partnership one of our NGO partners. Together, we take care of the long-term management and monitoring of all aquatic and terrestrial habitat for a minimum of 25 years, so the developer doesn’t have to.
Take a look at how the application process for developers works.
Still have some questions? Check out our FAQ page for some of those most frequently asked, or if you still have questions, get in touch today on 01865 688307 or email info@naturespaceuk.com.
