EPS licence

Newt fencing in place

WFE obtained an EPS mitigation licence for great crested newt on behalf of the Euston Estate in Suffolk, to temporarily exclude newts during construction of a reservoir.

Surveys were completed to established the presence of great crested newts on the site and surrounding area and assess pond suitability. This found newts were breeding in a pond within the footprint of the development and were in other adjacent ponds. Therefore mitigation was required, and the project was completed under an EPS licence.

The works involved the erection of exclusion fencing, trapping of the site, draining of the pond within the footprint and translocation of any animals found to a suitable release site.

To compensate for the loss of terrestrial newt habitat and the pond, two new ponds were dug, ponds and 6 hectares of land adjacent to the site were enhanced to improve connectivity for newts around the site.