Great crested newts are found in ponds during the breeding season (generally late February to early July), but will also make use of any available habitat for some distance around ponds to move around, forage or hibernate outside this time. Therefore, development up to several hundred metres away from a pond known to support breeding great crested newts could affect their habitat and a mitigation strategy to avoid impacts will need to be forthcoming.
Any development that affects great crested newts or their habitats (aquatic and terrestrial) would require a Habitats Regulations licence. See more information from NRW regarding licensing for great crested newts.
The following documents provide more information on great crested newt ecology, habitat management and suitable mitigation:
- Froglife have produced a Great Crested Newt Conservation Handbook
- The Herpetological Conservation Trust has produced a Habitat management guide for Great Crested Newts
- Great crested newt mitigation guidelines have been produced by English Nature (now Natural England)
See this link for more information on great crested newts in the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park.