Guidance

Ecologists: how to provide pond and waterbody data for district level licensing

Updated 1 November 2024

Applies to England

This guide is for ecologists who survey great crested newts at development sites.

When a developer wants to be part of a district level licensing scheme, Natural England calculate the effect of the new development on any ponds and waterbodies where great crested newts (GCN) might live.

If you have carried out GCN surveys on ponds and other waterbodies, you must supply this data to Natural England in a geographic information system (GIS) polygon shapefile ‘pond layer’ when you submit information for a district level licence.

The pond layer must include all ponds on the site and any within 250m of the site.

You can send a Google Earth Keyhole Markup Language (KML) file if you cannot provide a GIS polygon shapefile. For instructions on how to do this email Natural England at [email protected]

How to label the pond layer

You must label ponds and waterbodies on the GIS polygon shapefile as either:

• P (GCN present)
• A (GCN absent)
• NS (no survey)

If you found GCN in any waterbody, you must include the waterbody in the pond layer and label it as P.

You must explain any changes you make to the labels or waterbodies you have not included in section 3a of the enquiry form.

What to include in the pond layer

You should include the following features in the pond layer.

Waterbody size

You must include any waterbodies between 1 and 2,500m² in the pond layer.

Only include a waterbody over 2,500m² if you found GCN.

Flowing waterbodies

Do not include rivers, streams or other waterbodies that have a constant flow of water unless you found GCN.

Physical barriers

Do not include waterbodies if they’re separated from the development site by a major physical barrier to GCN, such as:

• motorways and dual carriageways (not minor roads)
• major or fast-flowing rivers
• significant built development with no suitable connecting habitat for GCN, such as hedgerows or ditches

Only include a waterbody if there is a suitable connecting habitat through the barrier that is less than 250m long.

Fish

You must include waterbodies you have not surveyed in the pond layer, even if they contain fish.

If a waterbody you have not surveyed is stocked with fish for aquaculture or angling, label it as A (GCN absent). You must provide evidence that the waterbody is used for aquaculture or angling. You must provide either:

• the name of the business
• the most recent stocking record

Dry waterbodies

If waterbodies are visible on an Ordnance Survey (OS) or aerial map, but are dry at the time of the survey, label them as A (GCN absent).

You do not need to include a dry waterbody if you provide evidence that the waterbody has been dry throughout the GCN breeding season for 3 or more consecutive years. You must provide:

• dated photographs that show the pond has been dry for 3 consecutive GCN breeding seasons
• any other dates the pond has been recorded as being dry

You do not need to include waterbodies that are not visible on an OS or aerial map and are dry at the time of the survey.

Waterbodies that no longer exist

If you visit a site and there’s no evidence of a waterbody that is shown on an OS or aerial map, do not include it. You must provide a 10 figure National Grid reference and a photograph of the location.

Linked waterbodies

You must identify any waterbodies that are hydrologically linked as a single waterbody and a single polygon in the pond layer.

Where ponds are linked to other features that are also considered suitable to support GCN (such as ditches) you should identify them as a single feature in the pond layer.

You must provide dated photographs that show the waterbodies are linked.

Ditches

You must include:

• ditches where you found GCN
• ditches with standing water which have not been surveyed and have suitable habitat for GCN

Do not include:

• ditches where you did not find GCN
• ditches that are dry or contain flowing water

Habitat suitability index

A habitat suitability index (HSI) score indicates the quality of a pond.

You must not exclude waterbodies from the pond layer based on the HSI score alone.

Get help

If you have any questions about labelling the pond layer email Natural England at [email protected]