A report published today has revealed that 84% of pond sites created through a pioneering scheme that replaces habitat lost to development are colonised by Great Crested Newts after three or more years. The research also shows that individual ponds created or restored through the scheme are more than twice as likely to be occupied by great crested newts than the average English pond.

The national scheme is entirely funded by developers and does not rely on any public money. It creates at least four new ponds for any pond occupied by Great Crested Newts, which is lost to development.

The new report is from the Newt Conservation Partnership, which was formed by two national conservation charities: Amphibian and Reptile Conservation and Freshwater Habitats Trust. The report includes monitoring data on ponds created and restored for the NatureSpace District Licensing Scheme between 2018 and 2024.