Wildlife and biodiversity

Biodiversity is vital to our wellbeing and key to the quality of life in Staffordshire. A healthy environment is also central to the economic prosperity and the county's desirability as a place to live, work and visit.

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Staffordshire great crested newt scheme

Great crested newts are a European protected species. District Licence Schemes have been introduced as an alternative approach to Natural England's mitigation licensing for planning applications to develop sites which could affect great crested newts.

District Licensing Schemes aim to increase the number of great crested newts by providing new or better habitats in targeted areas to benefit their wider population.

It’s a simpler, quicker process than mitigation licensing because planning applications do not need to include:

  • surveys of great crested newts
     
  • plans to carry out mitigation work to move newts to safety
     

District Licensing Schemes include:

  • maps to show where great crested newts are likely to live and the most important areas to conserve
     
  • target areas for new or restored ponds to compensate for loss of habitat for great crested newts
     
  • a strategy which includes an impact assessment of the effects of development at a local authority level or larger scale
     
  • a developer contributions scheme to fund compensatory habitat
     

The Staffordshire District Licensing Scheme

A Great Crested Newt District Licence was first granted by Natural England to Staffordshire County Council on 21 October 2021 ('the Scheme') for planning applications to the County Council to develop sites which could affect great crested newts.

The NatureSpace Partnership

The NatureSpace Partnership ('NSP') act as our delivery partner to operate the Scheme.

The NSP website provides information about:

Additional NSP guidance

Additional NSP resources

Additional information