Great Crested Newt Project gets DEFRA go-ahead

ARC in partnership with Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) at the University of Kent, have just secured funding for a 3-year project to investigate the effectiveness of mitigation measures designed to conserve great crested newt populations.


Developers and great crested newts frequently come into conflict and current guidance is supposed to compensate for any negative effects on newt populations caused by nearby development. The project will identify a set of sites where mitigation has taken place since 2004 and investigate the effects of mitigation on their populations. Comparisons will be made with other nearby sites that have not been affected by development.

The project will inform decision-makers as to the effectiveness of current mitigation projects and help adapt future guidance in order to maximise its effectiveness, thus delivering real conservation benefits for this vulnerable species.

Dr John W. Wilkinson

Research and Monitoring Officer