Rare newts discovered at Lydiard Millicent site

This female, Great Crested newt was found in a stone wall just outside Beards existing construction site at Lydiard Millicent school and released in to the nearby pond by our Site Manager Paul Bridgman.

The Great Crested newt is a highly protected species. In order to protect these newts whilst on-site, Beard erected a newt fence around the building perimeter at the start of the project. This 1.5ft high fence stops any newts entering the site and ensures their safety. Once the fence was successfully erected, the complete area inside of the fence was excavated and overseen by an ecologist to ensure no newts were trapped within the building site. Any newts that were found, were released safely in to the nearby pond.