wes_von_papineäu
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DENBIGHSHIRE FREE PRESS (Denbigh, UK) 07 December 07 It's newt news
A leading firm of house builders has spent £140,000 ($US 286,300) providing a new home for a pair of rare newts.
That's how much Anwyl Construction, spent creating a new habitat for the tiny twosome.
The presence of the newts in a pond near to the Nant Glas site in Trefnant meant a six month delay in starting work on the 26 property housing estate while a Welsh Assembly Government development license was granted prior to constructing a suitable habitat.
Great crested newts or Triturus cristatus grow to a maximum length of 17cm, less than seven inches – but they can cause big problems.
Construction of the habitat can take up to 18 months and in this case it cost £140,000, but when it came time to trap the housing land for the newts only two of them were found.
"We could have built them a three bed-roomed house instead," joked Director Matt Anwyl.
Anwyl Construction has now encountered a much larger colony of newts at one of their latest developments, Aberkinsey Parc in Rhyl.
TechnicalDirector Andy Davies explained: "Because great crested newts are protected by European law we have to provide them with a new purpose-built habitat and that can take up to 18 months to develop.
"Then we have to trap them and transport them to their new homes."
Anwyl Construction employ AEDC, a company that specialises in the design and construction of conservation buildings and sites, to provide a place for all manner of plant and animal life.
In Rhyl, Anwyl Construction's responsibility doesn't end when the newts move in, the long term management has to be sorted out and paid for:
"The site will be maintained by Denbighshire County Council's Wildlife and Countryside Services so that it remains suitable," said Tim.
Andy added: "Twenty years ago you wouldn't have heard about an ecologist being involved on a housing development site.
"Now he is often the first person there."
http://www.denbighshirefreepress.co.uk/news/It39s-newt-news.3565695.jp
A leading firm of house builders has spent £140,000 ($US 286,300) providing a new home for a pair of rare newts.
That's how much Anwyl Construction, spent creating a new habitat for the tiny twosome.
The presence of the newts in a pond near to the Nant Glas site in Trefnant meant a six month delay in starting work on the 26 property housing estate while a Welsh Assembly Government development license was granted prior to constructing a suitable habitat.
Great crested newts or Triturus cristatus grow to a maximum length of 17cm, less than seven inches – but they can cause big problems.
Construction of the habitat can take up to 18 months and in this case it cost £140,000, but when it came time to trap the housing land for the newts only two of them were found.
"We could have built them a three bed-roomed house instead," joked Director Matt Anwyl.
Anwyl Construction has now encountered a much larger colony of newts at one of their latest developments, Aberkinsey Parc in Rhyl.
TechnicalDirector Andy Davies explained: "Because great crested newts are protected by European law we have to provide them with a new purpose-built habitat and that can take up to 18 months to develop.
"Then we have to trap them and transport them to their new homes."
Anwyl Construction employ AEDC, a company that specialises in the design and construction of conservation buildings and sites, to provide a place for all manner of plant and animal life.
In Rhyl, Anwyl Construction's responsibility doesn't end when the newts move in, the long term management has to be sorted out and paid for:
"The site will be maintained by Denbighshire County Council's Wildlife and Countryside Services so that it remains suitable," said Tim.
Andy added: "Twenty years ago you wouldn't have heard about an ecologist being involved on a housing development site.
"Now he is often the first person there."
http://www.denbighshirefreepress.co.uk/news/It39s-newt-news.3565695.jp