Wildscapes CIC have now delivered 315 ponds as part of the Natural England district level licensing (DLL) scheme for great crested newts, accounting for 10% of all ponds created or restored under the scheme nationwide.
Due to continued success, we’re looking to deliver another batch of ponds this year across Yorkshire, Derbyshire and North Lincolnshire, with a specific focus on restoring ponds in poor condition.
To meet the Natural England criteria for restoration, ponds will need to be between 150-500m2, in poor condition and have at least one of the following:
Low water level and/or high silt level.
Encroachment and shading of trees.
No/minimal aquatic plant life.
Bulrush and/or reeds taking over at least 80% of the open water area.
A historic pond previously filled in (ghost pond).
100% funding is available for all pond restoration work. Each selected site has a 25 year monitoring and maintenance funding package to ensure high quality habitat is maintained throughout the project lifecycle. Wildscapes CIC will carry out all works, including livestock fencing if required.
The District Level Licensing Scheme
Great crested newts are a European protected species, which means that the newts, their eggs, breeding sites and resting places are protected by law. During the 20th Century, half of the UK’s ponds were lost and this has led to the serious decline of the great crested newt population. This scheme is designed to support the development process, to create more habitats and to secure the long-term protection of this important, protected species.Natural England has developed a modelling dataset over several years based on great crested newt ecology, records and habitat suitability to show the most suitable locations to create and restore ponds.To enable the strategic placement of ponds in the most suitable areas, a network of landowners is required to support the work.
More on the scheme here.
Interested landowners
Please email our team at info@wildscapes.co.uk with the following information:
- Your name, contact details and site address.
- A grid reference or what3words location for each proposed pond restoration.
- A photo of any ponds being proposed for restoration.
All suitable enquiries that fall within our target area will be followed up and a site visit arranged for further assessment over the next couple of months.