£60,000 to move crested newts

Feb 18 2008 by Liam Murphy, Liverpool Daily Post

TAXPAYERS in Cheshire were hit with a bill for £60,000 for moving four Great Crested Newts at a school.

Now the former Cheshire County Council chairman and the executive member for the environment are writing to the government and the EU to complain.

The amphibians had to be found a new habitat as part of a planning application for building work at Fallibroome High School, Macclesfield.

The issue has been raised by county councillor Barrie Hardern who has written to Minister Hilary Benn at Defra.

Cllr Hardern said: “Around £15,000 per newt seems a ludicrous sum of money to me.

“They are a legally protected species under EU regulations, because there are parts of Europe where they are quite rare.

“However, in Cheshire, we have in the order of 16,000 ponds, and newts are widespread and locally abundant.

“I am very concerned about taxpayers’ money being used in this way, in what appears to be a ridiculous situation.”