News

Led by our Environmental and linear Drainage teams, we are proud to have trialled a pioneering approach to great crested newt (GCN) licensing during balancing pond maintenance across the M25 network. Godstone Ponds and Kemsing Pond became the first sites in the UK to operate under the new National Highways Organisational Licence system, marking an important step forward in how protected species licensing can support both infrastructure maintenance and conservation. 

Balancing ponds are vital drainage assets that collect road runoff and act as natural filters before water enters nearby rivers and streams. With around 200 ponds in operation, regular maintenance is essential. Over time, they accumulate silt and vegetation, reducing their effectiveness. To keep them functioning, we remove up to one third of the silt on a rotational basis, ensuring wildlife habitats are preserved while maintaining drainage performance. 

Sadly, GCN populations have declined sharply over the past 50 years. Ahead of desilting, we carry out Habitat Suitability Index assessments and eDNA testing. As a European Protected Species, works cannot take place if GCNs are present without a licence from Natural England. Licensing provides organisations with approval to carry out works, provided strict safeguards are followed. Traditionally, a licence stipulated small, site-based habitat enhancements, but small pond compounds often limit the scope for meaningful improvements.  

Whilst hosting a knowledge exchange session with National Highways colleagues, we were introduced to their Organisational Licence approach developed with the NatureSpace Partnership. The Organisational Licence allows National Highways to cover work on the Strategic Road Network under their own licence. Designed with NatureSpace and expert NGO partners - the Newt Conservation Partnership, Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, and Freshwater Habitats Trust, the licence shifts the focus to landscape-scale conservation, creating larger, more sustainable habitats that better support long-term survival. 

NatureSpace uses traffic light risk maps to predict where newts are most likely to be found. In red zones, around one in two ponds are occupied by GCNs, while in white zones the figure is closer to one in 100. The scheme, facilitated on behalf of National Highways, covers the South East and South West regions. Two of our ponds were assessed as high risk, and we obtained licences under this system. All works were carried out at the appropriate time of year under ecological supervision to safeguard resident newts. 

Our licence fees are supporting a major biodiversity project in Hampshire. Eastleigh Borough Council has acquired 100 hectares of former dairy pasture to deliver biodiversity net gain. Through a 25-year agreement with NatureSpace, eight hectares of new habitats are being created. Five ponds were excavated in July, and the site now includes public footpaths and a viewing point so communities can watch the landscape evolve. This larger-scale compensation ensures that mitigation genuinely benefits GCNs by creating sustainable, connected habitats. 

Another clear advantage of the licence is efficiency. It allows us to return to sites for future maintenance without the need to reapply each time, streamlining the process while ensuring ecological safeguards remain in place. We are proud to hold the first licence issued under this system for Area 5, with oversight provided by a Nominated Signatory, demonstrating our commitment to leading the way in innovative conservation practice.