To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to 2.27 of the Housing White Paper, if he will set out the (a) timeline and (b) process for implementing the new approach to the licensing system for great crested newts; and what additional funding will be available to (i) his Department, (ii) the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and (iii) Natural England to support that implementation.
Answered on
4 April 2017
The roll-out of the new strategic approach to great crested newt licencing will begin in Kent in 2017-18 and the wider nationwide roll-out to other affected local authority areas will be set up over three years beginning in 2017-18.
Within this timescale, Natural England will consider district licences for 150 local authority areas. This will be based on an assessment of the impact of the development plan and evidence on the distribution of the great crested newt across the district. To achieve this, Natural England is currently working with partners including local authorities, developers, land owners, environmental specialists and conservation groups. The new approach needs no amendments to legislation.
The Department for Communities and Local Government has identified £90,000 of funding within existing budgets for Natural England to support the implementation of the new strategic approach in Kent. The Department for Communities and Local Government will be identifying funding for the nationwide roll-out of the new approach. On-going funding for the schemes will be covered by developer contributions for using the strategic mitigation.