1-20 of 44 results for subject:Newts
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To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 June 2026 to Question 5043 on Railways: Nature Conservation, what estimate her Department has made of the annual cost to Network Rail of (a) surveys and checks for nesting birds, (b) ecological surveys relating to bats...
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 June 2026 to Question 5043 on Railways: Nature Conservation, what estimate her Department has made of the annual cost to Network Rail of (a) surveys and checks for nesting birds, (b) ecological surveys relating to bats...
The Department / Network Rail do not hold a centrally collated estimate of the annual cost of any ecological surveys undertaken for bats, great crested newts, or nesting birds.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 January 2025 to Question 19349 on Nature Conservation: EU law, what amendments to assimilated EU law are being considered.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 January 2025 to Question 19349 on Nature Conservation: EU law, what amendments to assimilated EU law are being considered.
Future plans for the reporting period 24 June to 23 December 2025 will be included in the fourth Assimilated Law Parliamentary Report. Past reports can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/retained-eu-law-reul-parliamentary-report.
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department’s policy paper entitled Development and Nature Recovery, published on 15 December 2024, what steps is she taking to ensure new housebuilding is prioritised over the protection of newts.
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department’s policy paper entitled Development and Nature Recovery, published on 15 December 2024, what steps is she taking to ensure new housebuilding is prioritised over the protection of newts.
When it comes to development and the environment, we know we can do better than the status quo, which too often sees both sustainable housebuilding and nature recovery stall. Instead of environmental protections being seen as a barrier to growth, we want to unlock a win-win for the economy and for nature.
Proposals for a Nature Restoration Fund are under development for inclusion in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. Further information will be set out when the Bill is introduced.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to paragraphs 17 and 60 of the policy paper entitled Planning Reform Working Paper: Development and Nature Recovery, published on 15 December 2024, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of those policies...
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to paragraphs 17 and 60 of the policy paper entitled Planning Reform Working Paper: Development and Nature Recovery, published on 15 December 2024, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of those policies...
At this stage, the Government has not yet finalised its assessment of how it can further support local authorities to tackle litter. Any new announcements will be announced in the usual way.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to (a) amend and (b) repeal assimilated EU law on the Habitats Directive on (i) newts and (ii) other protected species.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to (a) amend and (b) repeal assimilated EU law on the Habitats Directive on (i) newts and (ii) other protected species.
This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
As the Prime Minister said in his speech on 5 December the Government will streamline development processes to meet new and ambitious targets to build 1.5 million homes and advance 150 major infrastructure projects.
The Government will also use the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to establish a more efficient and effective way for obligations related to our most important sites and species to be discharged at a scale that has the greatest environmental benefits.
The Government has committed to only act in legislation where we can confirm to Parliament that the steps we are taking will deliver positive environmental outcomes. Necessary amendments may be made to assimilated EU law on the Habitats Directive to secure the operability of the proposed new approach.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact of planning developments on habitats for great crested newts; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of implementing local authority district-level licenses for relocating newts.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact of planning developments on habitats for great crested newts; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of implementing local authority district-level licenses for relocating newts.
This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
Protected species are afforded legal protection in England due to their conservation status. A mitigation licence is required for developers to carry out various types of work that may affect a protected species or their habitat.
Defra and Natural England recognise that schemes that take a national, strategic approach to such licensing rather than on a site-by-site basis can deliver improved outcomes for the environment and for planning developments.
In 2017, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government funded Natural England to develop a strategic approach to licensing for great crested newts (GCN) to facilitate a quicker regulatory process, cost and time savings for developers, as well as better conservation outcomes. This resulted in Natural England's District Level Licensing (DLL) Scheme which, together with third party providers of comparable schemes licensed by Natural England, is now operational across 212 local planning authorities. DLL is underpinned by strategic assessments, which are undertaken to assess impacts on GCN and their habitat, and to target the creation of new habitat for colonisation.
On-site mitigation licenses remain available. Having two routes to support great crested newts means that the most appropriate mitigation for newts can be applied in an area while also supporting development.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations his Department has received on plans for an opencast mine at a site in Bradley, County Durham; and what discussions he has had with (a) Natural England and (b) Durham County Council on mitigation plans for...
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations his Department has received on plans for an opencast mine at a site in Bradley, County Durham; and what discussions he has had with (a) Natural England and (b) Durham County Council on mitigation plans for...
The Department has not received any direct representations on plans for an open cast mine at the Bradley site in County Durham. Natural England is the competent authority for issues related to licensing of activities that would impact on protected species and has a statutory function in determining any such licence application.
The Department has not had any discussions with Natural England regarding this site other than agreeing the statement that was published on the Defra Media Blog.
Natural England has not had any discussions with Durham County Council on mitigation plans for managing the impact of the current development on the great crested newts at this site. Natural England is, however, liaising with Banks Group, the developer, regarding the great crested newt surveys at this site.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to 2.27 of the Housing White Paper, if he will set out the (a) timeline and (b) process for implementing the new approach to the licensing system for great crested newts; and what additional funding will be...
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to 2.27 of the Housing White Paper, if he will set out the (a) timeline and (b) process for implementing the new approach to the licensing system for great crested newts; and what additional funding will be...
The roll-out of the new strategic approach to great crested newt licencing will begin in Kent in 2017-18 and the wider nationwide roll-out to other affected local authority areas will be set up over three years beginning in 2017-18.
Within this timescale, Natural England will consider district licences for 150 local authority areas. This will be based on an assessment of the impact of the development plan and evidence on the distribution of the great crested newt across the district. To achieve this, Natural England is currently working with partners including local authorities, developers, land owners, environmental specialists and conservation groups. The new approach needs no amendments to legislation.
The Department for Communities and Local Government has identified £90,000 of funding within existing budgets for Natural England to support the implementation of the new strategic approach in Kent. The Department for Communities and Local Government will be identifying funding for the nationwide roll-out of the new approach. On-going funding for the schemes will be covered by developer contributions for using the strategic mitigation.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the resources, including staff time, needed by Natural England to implement the pilot scheme for the new approach to Great Crested Newt licencing.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the resources, including staff time, needed by Natural England to implement the pilot scheme for the new approach to Great Crested Newt licencing.
Natural England estimates that the Woking pilot has cost approximately £31,000 and involved the equivalent staff time of 2.75 full time employees. The pilot scheme in Kent will cost £180,000, with funding for this being provided jointly from The Department of Communities and Local Government and The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
The new licensing approach replaces site by site licensing with a new system of district planning level licensing with surveys and habitat compensation undertaken proactively at the district level by Natural England and the local authority.
It will reduce costs for Natural England and costs, uncertainty and risk of delay for developers, while at the same time enhancing the conservation status of Great Crested Newts.
If she will review the measures put in place to protect bats and newts under the EU Habitats Directive.
If she will review the measures put in place to protect bats and newts under the EU Habitats Directive.
DEFRA completed a review of the national implementation of the habitats directive in 2012. Although the review found that implementation was largely working well, it identified measures to improve things further, which have largely been delivered. In addition, the European Commission has started its own evaluation of the directive, which is due to conclude in the spring of 2016.
DEFRA completed a review of the national implementation of the habitats directive in 2012. Although the review found that implementation was largely working well, it identified measures to improve things further, which have largely been delivered. In addition, the European Commission has started its own evaluation of the directive, which is due to conclude in the spring of 2016.
DEFRA completed a review of the national implementation of the habitats directive in 2012. Although the review found that implementation was largely working well, it identified measures to improve things further, which have largely been delivered. In addition, the European Commission has started its own evaluation of the directive, which is due to conclude in the spring of 2016.
If she will review the measures put in place to protect bats and newts under the EU Habitats Directive.
Before I receive any hate mail, may I say that I am a keen conservationist and that I like bats and newts? However, as my hon. Friend intimated, there are problems with the implementation of the EU habitats directive that are costing the taxpayer and private citizens huge amounts of money—millions and millions of pounds. I say gently to him that, during the review, Natural England and other agencies gold-plated the EU habitats directive to a great extent. Just to give an example, when I bought my semi-derelict house, there were 24 great crested newts in the cellar. If, heaven forfend, I had picked them all up and taken them outside, I would have been liable to spend 12 years in jail and pay a fine of £120,000.
Before I receive any hate mail, may I say that I am a keen conservationist and that I like bats and newts? However, as my hon. Friend intimated, there are problems with the implementation of the EU habitats directive that are costing the taxpayer and private citizens huge amounts of money—millions and millions of pounds. I say gently to him that, during the review, Natural England and other agencies gold-plated the EU habitats directive to a great extent. Just to give an example, when I bought my semi-derelict house, there were 24 great crested newts in the cellar. If, heaven forfend, I had picked them all up and taken them outside, I would have been liable to spend 12 years in jail and pay a fine of £120,000.
My right hon. Friend is right. The Conservative party has a proud history of conservation. Indeed, we introduced the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. I point out to him that since our 2012 review, the changes to Natural England’s licensing procedures have saved applicants an estimated £535,000 and 678 weeks of delay. DEFRA has assisted the Church of England to produce guidance to simplify the consideration of bats in churches and has funded research into bat deterrence. DEFRA will continue to work with stakeholders to address the problems that he has identified.
My right hon. Friend is right. The Conservative party has a proud history of conservation. Indeed, we introduced the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. I point out to him that since our 2012 review, the changes to Natural England’s licensing procedures have saved applicants an estimated £535,000 and 678 weeks of delay. DEFRA has assisted the Church of England to produce guidance to simplify the consideration of bats in churches and has funded research into bat deterrence. DEFRA will continue to work with stakeholders to address the problems that he has identified.
My right hon. Friend is right. The Conservative party has a proud history of conservation. Indeed, we introduced the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. I point out to him that since our 2012 review, the changes to Natural England’s licensing procedures have saved applicants an estimated £535,000 and 678 weeks of delay. DEFRA has assisted the Church of England to produce guidance to simplify the consideration of bats in churches and has funded research into bat deterrence. DEFRA will continue to work with stakeholders to address the problems that he has identified.
Before I receive any hate mail, may I say that I am a keen conservationist and that I like bats and newts? However, as my hon. Friend intimated, there are problems with the implementation of the EU habitats directive that are costing the taxpayer and private citizens huge amounts of money—millions and millions of pounds. I say gently to him that, during the review, Natural England and other agencies gold-plated the EU habitats directive to a great extent. Just to give an example, when I bought my semi-derelict house, there were 24 great crested newts in the cellar. If, heaven forfend, I had picked them all up and taken them outside, I would have been liable to spend 12 years in jail and pay a fine of £120,000.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the number of great crested newts in England in each year since 2007.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the number of great crested newts in England in each year since 2007.
Great crested newt populations show large natural fluctuations and it is not possible or appropriate to estimate the actual numbers. Instead, great crested newts are monitored by assessing the number of ponds that they occupy. In 2011 it was estimated that there were approximately 53,720 occupied ponds.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the average change in (a) costs and (b) completion time of construction projects as a result of licences granted to protect great crested newts under the Conservation (Natural Habitats etc) (Amendment) Regulations...
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the average change in (a) costs and (b) completion time of construction projects as a result of licences granted to protect great crested newts under the Conservation (Natural Habitats etc) (Amendment) Regulations...
In June 2013, Natural England introduced modifications to their licensing procedures for great crested newts. The savings to applicants until the end of November 2014 are estimated at £276,000.
Delays avoided by applicants through the use of this approach to licensing, over the same period, is estimated as 1,104 weeks.
Prior to 2013, no estimate has been made of the difference in costs and completion times.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many great crested newt licences have been (a) applied for and (b) granted in each year since 2007.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many great crested newt licences have been (a) applied for and (b) granted in each year since 2007.
Information on great crested newt mitigation licences prior to 2008 is not readily available. Licence applications received in one calendar year for work to be carried out the next year may not have been processed until early the following year.
The figures for new licences are:
Applications | Licences granted | |
2008 | 133 | 100 |
2009 | 193 | 195 |
2010 | 219 | 227 |
2011 | 195 | 205 |
2012 | 226 | 185 |
2013 | 239 | 255 |
2014 | 269 | 249 |
The following applications to modify an existing licence were also made:
Applications to modify an existing licence | Modified licences granted | |
2008 | 104 | 77 |
2009 | 217 | 176 |
2010 | 218 | 178 |
2011 | 191 | 151 |
2012 | 226 | 171 |
2013 | 308 | 220 |
2014 | 229 | 247 |
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of people qualified to survey land in England for signs of great crested newt activity.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of people qualified to survey land in England for signs of great crested newt activity.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his most recent estimate is of the UK population of (a) great crested newts, (b) each other endangered species of newt and (c) each endangered species of bat; from what baselines changes in the population of each...
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his most recent estimate is of the UK population of (a) great crested newts, (b) each other endangered species of newt and (c) each endangered species of bat; from what baselines changes in the population of each...
| Species | UK population¹ | Date | Range² | Date | Trend³ | Date |
| Barbastelle bat | 86 (10km sq.) | 2008 | 80,939 km² | 1980-2006 | Unknown | 2008 |
| Bechstein's bat | 36 (10km sq.) | 2008 | 31,850 km² | 1980-2006 | Unknown | 2008 |
| Noctule | 450,000 (individuals) | 1995 | 158,299 km² | 1980-2006 | No statistically significant change | 1997-2007 |
| Soprano pipistrelle | 51,500,000 (individuals) | 1995 | 227,090 km² | 1990-2006 | Stable | 1997-2007 |
| Brown long-eared bat | 6245,000 (individuals) | 1995 | 234,142 km² | 1980-2006 | Stable | 1997-2007 |
| Greater horseshoe bat | 75,689 (individuals) | 2005 | 50,543 km² | 1990-2006 | Increase | 1997-2007 |
| Lesser horseshoe bat | 850,000 (individuals) | 2002 | 58,483 km² | 1990-2006 | Increase | 1997-2007 |
| Great crested newt | 971,000 (local populations) | 2006 | 157,749 km² | 1980-2006 | Declining (slowing) | 2008 |
| ¹ Biodiversity Action Reporting System (2008) | ||||||
| ² Joint Nature Conservation Committee (2007). The report detailing the UK approach can be found here: | ||||||
| http://www.jncc.gov.uk/pdf/FCS2007_ukapproach.pdf | ||||||
| ³ Biodiversity Action Reporting System (2008). Where available, bat trends are provided by the National Bat Monitoring Programme (Bat Conservation Trust, 2008) | ||||||
| 4 Based on Harris (1995) | ||||||
| 5 Based on Harris (1995) | ||||||
| 6 Based on Harris (1995) | ||||||
| 7 Population estimate is 5,689 (adults counted at 21 breeding sites) * 2.2 = 12518 (Biodiversity Action Reporting System 2008) | ||||||
| 8 Pers. comm. Schofield (2008). The rationale for this figure is based on an approximate doubling of the latest statistically valid figure for Wales (28,000; Matthews & Halliwell, 2008) due to the fact that the total area of the range in England and Wales being roughly equal. (Biodiversity Action Reporting System 2008) | ||||||
| 9 JNCC (2007) |