Email: Those newts

Further to 'Natural England stops restoration' and 'Thwarted by Bureaucracy' by Orph Mable, I hear the Montgomery Canal restoration is also suffering from inactivity by Natural England, having applied for a 'Newt Licence' in early June last year and have still not got one.

 

They have built the pools and erected the newt-proof fencing as requested. This all leads to less money on the actual canal restoration.

I have heard that Natural England is suffering from government spending cuts, but 10 months to get a licence—come on. How many newts may have died from its indecision!

Orph Mable makes a good point about the non-location, and I bet no harm came to the newts.

If Natural England has not got the staff it should not be in a position to make delays and costs of the magnitude that the delays must cost.

John Dale