Natural England stops restoration

AS MANY readers of narrowboatworld will know The Wey & Arun Trust is very active and successful in it progress of restoring the Wey & Arun, but the Trust have now come up against a 'brick wall' in the shape of Natural England.

Though the Trust has well exceeded it fundraising target of £365,000 for restoring Gennets Bridge Lock, work is now thwarted by Natural England by the possibility that there may be some newts living at the site, David Davis tells us.

Hypothetical newts

Natural England does not know for sure, and they are not even actual newts, but hypothetical newts which might be living there, as no one has seen any!

But nevertheless the Trust has now been forced to apply for a European Protected Species Licence, and dig some ponds to provide these potential newts with a new home.

Eight weeks searching

But worse, a 'trained ecologist' will then spend up to eight weeks searching for any great crested newts which may be living at the lock site, and if any are found they can be moved to the ponds.

In the meantime, work is stopped just in case some may be found.