Environmental Education CentreOur Rapid Response When Great Crested Newts Hold Up Works
Client: Global Renewables
Services: Nesting Bird Checks, Great Crested Newt Precautionary Works Method Statement
Sector: Environmental Education
Location: Lancashire, UK
Scheme Overview:
Contract Ecology was commissioned by Global Renewables Ltd to perform ecological site supervision and nesting bird surveys prior to woodland thinning and management during the construction of their Environmental Education Centre in Leyland, Lancashire.
Part-way through works, contractors uncovered smooth newts onsite although a thorough great crested newt presence/absence survey had been undertaken by a previous ecological consultant acting for the scheme prior to obtaining planning permission and no evidence of great crested newts had been recorded.
Scope of Works and Solution:
Our Ecologists attended site the same day and as a precautionary measure Global Renewables asked Contract Ecology to prepare a great crested newt method statement and present a tool box talk to their contractors so that they could be confident that they could continue the job with minimal risk to damaging the sites ecology.
Benefits:
Our rapid response allowed work to recommence at the site later that same day ensuring no further delay to the contractors build programme. Although not necessarily protected in law, once the contractors had received a tool box talk about the species they were more than happy to rehouse any frogs, toads and smooth newts they found into the natural habitats of the wider environmental education centre grounds.