Great Crested Newts

Great Crested Newts and District Level Licensing 

What are great crested newts? 

Great crested newts are the UK’s largest native newt species and one of the most protected. Over the past 60 years, their numbers have declined significantly, largely due to the loss of ponds and surrounding habitat. 

Our work in the Tees Valley 

Through the District Level Licensing (DLL) scheme, Tees Valley Wildlife Trust worked with landowners to create and restore high-quality pond habitats across the Tees Valley. 

By March 2025, we had: 

• Created or restored 54 ponds across Redcar & Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees and Hartlepool
• Delivered over 8,100m² of wetland habitat
• Strengthened habitat networks to support great crested newts and other freshwater wildlife
• These ponds were designed to benefit wildlife at a landscape scale, helping species move more freely and recover over time. 

What is District Level Licensing? 

District Level Licensing is a strategic approach to conservation. It ensures that, where development impacts habitats, new or improved habitats are created in the right places to support species like great crested newts. 

Rather than isolated mitigation, DLL focuses on creating bigger, better and more connected habitats for long-term recovery. 

Monitoring and results 

As part of a 25-year monitoring programme, we carried out habitat assessments and environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys to track newt populations. 

Early results have been encouraging, with great crested newts already recorded in a number of newly created ponds — a strong sign that these habitats are working. 

The team

The project was led by Tees Valley Wildlife Trust's, Tom Richardson, who brought extensive experience in protected species conservation. 

Tom said, “It’s been fantastic to see new ponds quickly supporting great crested newts and other wildlife. This work is making a real difference to nature recovery across the Tees Valley.” 

Get involved 

While this phase of the project has now been delivered, we’re always keen to hear from landowners interested in supporting nature recovery. 

Creating and restoring ponds remains one of the most effective ways to help wildlife thrive, and play your part in building a more connected landscape for the future. 

Landowner guidance

If you own land and are interested in pond creation, consider if your site is: 

• close to existing ponds and good-quality habitat
• on the type of ground that will hold water naturally
• nearby rough grassland, scrub or woodland
• safe from pollution, flooding and invasive species  

Our team can help assess suitability and advise on next steps. Please get in touch if we can support you.