£210k of public money to be spent building ponds for newts made homeless by A500 Crewe Green link road
MORE than £200,000 of taxpayers' cash is to be spent creating new homes for newts living in the path of a key road.
Construction of the £30 million bypass to the A500 will destroy ponds inhabited by the rare amphibians.
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Great crested newts will be moved to two new pools as a result of work on the Crewe Green Link Road.
Instead, two new pools are set to be created for the great crested newts, below, which are protected under EU law.
Councillors were expected to approve the creation of the 'artificial wetland areas' at a meeting today.
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The new ponds are expected to cost up to £190,000, with an extra £20,000 needed to lease the land and cover the cost of surveyors and lawyers.
A Wildlife Trust spokesman said: "This area is an important stronghold for great crested newts, given its long history of ponds and small wetlands. It may even be the 'pond capital' of Europe.
"The creation of new ponds, especially if well-managed, is a tried-and-tested conservation technique to safeguard these rare amphibians."
The new 1.1-kilometre Crewe Green Link Road – linking the A500 and the A5020 Weston Road near Crewe – is intended to ease congestion and improve access to Junction 16 of the M6.
Barry Proctor, owner of Talke haulage firm Barry Proctor Services, believes the link road is needed.
He said: "Driving to Crewe at the moment is a nightmare because of the congestion on Weston Road. Anything that relieves it has to be welcomed.
"The project will also create jobs, which we also need."
Work must start on the ponds this month so they will be ready to receive the newts next year, before work on the road begins.
Today's report to Cheshire East Council states: "The construction of the proposed Crewe Green Link Road South will result in the loss of natural great crested newt habitat areas which in accordance with protected species guidelines must be mitigated by the provision of suitable alternative habitat. This is also a condition of our planning permission for the road.
"The council will be able to claim some of the money back from the Department for Transport, which is providing 60 per cent of the funding for the bypass – but only if the road scheme goes ahead."
The newt habitats are between the A500 and Weston Lane, near Basford Brook, and near Savoy Road, Crewe. The sites are currently held by the Co-op and a private land owner.
The discovery of great crested newts is often raised by objectors in planning applications. But the discovery of the amphibians failed to stop the redevelopment of Stoke City's Trent Vale training ground.
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by Exserviceman
Wednesday, March 06 2013, 7:50AM
“I can't say I have any great objection to forming the ponds but I do wonder how on earth they can come up with such astronomical costs. In my opinion almost every project that councils take on seem to be overpriced, I suppose when you're spending someone else's money there's no reason to make sure you only spend what's absolutely necessary.”
by Spoonz1980
Tuesday, March 05 2013, 8:47PM
“Cheshire East Council spend £ 200k to rehouse some newts.
Stoke council spend £ 55 million to rehouse a bunch of snakes.
Cheshire tax payers aint done too bad there !”
by Davejjohnson
Tuesday, March 05 2013, 8:15PM
“Beats spending it on education or treating the sick. The Council system in this country is well past it's sell by date and should be scrapped.”
by james208
Tuesday, March 05 2013, 6:47PM
“Money well spent on protecting the environment for the next generation . After all, we're all temporary!”
by Robnoxious
Tuesday, March 05 2013, 6:36PM
“Who would that be Maximus Hippomus?”
by mole10
Tuesday, March 05 2013, 5:27PM
“Well insn't it getting interesting.
I'm now informed that WM Labour wants the 'chosen one' to be Deputy Leader.
It's a way of taking the Lead through the backdoor if Pervez has an unfortunate 'mishap'.
...and I'm told that the Cannes, Lidice and Erlangen trips are coming soon as a build up to further rehabilitation.
I can see it now, sun tan, the lot.
1000 jobs here and 10,000 jobs there.
We're going to have new jobs coming out of our ears as we, a loving public, want him to return.
This is going to be a good run in to May.”
by richardhannay
Tuesday, March 05 2013, 4:54PM
“This Fink-Nottle, you see, was one of those freaks you come across from time to time during life's journey who can't stand London. He lived year in and year out, covered with moss, in a remote village down in Lincolnshire, never coming up even for the Eton and Harrow match. And when I asked him once if he didn't find the time hang a bit heavy on his hands, he said, no, because he had a pond in his garden and studied the habits of newts.
I couldn't imagine what could have brought the chap up to the great city. I would have been prepared to bet that as long as the supply of newts didn't give out, nothing could have shifted him from that village of his.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, sir."
"You got the name correctly? Fink-Nottle?"
"Yes, sir."
"Well, it's the most extraordinary thing. It must be five years since he was in London. He makes no secret of the fact that the place gives him the pip. Until now, he has always stayed glued to the country, completely surrounded by newts."
"Sir?"
"Newts, Jeeves. Mr. Fink-Nottle has a strong newt complex. You must have heard of newts. Those little sort of lizard things that charge about in ponds."
"Oh, yes, sir. The aquatic members of the family Salamandridae which constitute the genus Molge."”
by mole10
Tuesday, March 05 2013, 4:49PM
“Maybe we should adopt Latin names for our Councillors such as the one given to the Greater Crested Newt (Triturus cristatus).
Who should be given the identity of Maximus Corruptus?
Somebody who slithers like a snake?”
by Pinchofsalt
Tuesday, March 05 2013, 4:32PM
“Far better use of public money than a new Civic Centre methinks . . . . .”
by richardhannay
Tuesday, March 05 2013, 4:07PM
“I sense Gussie Fink Nottle has something to do with this”