Developers should be aware of a new licensing scheme for Great Crested Newts in South Midlands

Following the governments’ Housing White Paper which was published in February 2017, the launched licensing of Great Crested Newt (GCN) has been high on the agenda as part of a wider effort to speed-up nationwide housing delivery.

Some of the first licenses have now been issued by Natural England to the following Local Planning Authorities

  • Bedfordshire: Central Bedfordshire & Bedford Borough
  • Buckinghamshire: Milton Keynes & Aylesbury Vale
  • Oxfordshire: South Oxfordshire, Vale of the White Horse, Oxford City & Oxfordshire County

In these initial districts, developers are invited to register their forthcoming projects with the voluntary scheme. 

Some of the benefits are:

  • Avoidance of upfront GCN survey requirements and costs (and, in some instances, any related delays to planning)
  • No GCN licence application costs or associated timing delays
  • No implementation costs or delays for GCN mitigation, such as fencing, trapping and ongoing monitoring
  • Reduction in potential planning conditions imposed

For further details please click here

Author: Fiona Baillie


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