PROTECTED newts displaced by a massive new housing estate in Chester could actually see their numbers increase, it is claimed.

This is because the developers plan to create a wildlife conservation area with double the number of ponds 100 metres south of the proposed building site on Wrexham Road.

Land for the 1,269-home estate – which has not yet secured planning permission – features five ponds where ecologists have spotted Great Crested Newts.

If the plans get the go-ahead, the amphibians would all be moved to the proposed new conservation area which will boast 10 ponds.

Chester and District Standard:

The wildlife conservation area would be created 100m south of the proposed housing estate site outlined in red.

Developer Redrow Homes would pay for the site to be run by a management company or wildlife group.

This would likely be the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust which has worked with the company on two similar projects in the past.

In a letter to the council, the trust said that wildlife species have benefitted from these projects and populations have increased.

Although normally closed off to the public, the new nature reserves also create opportunities for conservation volunteer work and “wildlife-themed events” for residents.

The trust wrote: “If this application is successful, we would look to work with Redrow to continue the good work we have done previously while providing added value to this project.”

Populations of Great Crested Newts were said to have dropped at an alarming since the 1970s but numbers are now starting to rise again.

Chester and District Standard:

Great Crested Newts are protected under UK law.

The creatures, also known as ‘Warty Newts’, grow to up to 17cm, have a lifespan of six to 15 years and are protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

They breed in ponds during the spring and spend most of the rest of the year feeding on invertebrates in woodland, hedgerows, marshes and grassland, according to The Wildlife Trusts.

They hibernate underground, among tree roots and in old walls.

The UK’s biggest newt, the critters are almost black in colour, with spotted flanks and a striking, orange belly. They have warty skin and males have a long, wavy crest along the body and tail during the breeding season.

Chester and District Standard:

A Great Crested Newt.

A number of people have objected to the plans for the conservation area due to concerns over flooding.

Documents presented to Cheshire West and Chester Council state that the ponds will be filled through natural surface water and connect to new or existing ditches. They will be between 1m and 1.5m deep.

The plans, which are recommended for approval by council experts, will be discussed by councillors at a planning committee meeting on Tuesday (January 8). The wider housing development plan will be considered at the same time.

If approved, the new ponds would be created at least six months before any work begins on the housing estate to allow the newts to be moved over.

A barn owl nest would also be included in the reserve to replace one on the proposed homes site.