Work will begin in January to build three ponds for Great Crested Newts at Long Lands Common in Harrogate.
The team behind the community-funded nature reserve and woodland between Bogs Lane and Bilton Lane hopes the ponds will become a flagship for biodiversity in the area.
The ponds will be built in places that already have seasonal flooding and semi-wetland communities.
Surveys have found the common toad, common frog, smooth newt and Great Crested Newts all within 2km of the site. Yorkshire Wildlife Trust will carry out the works.
The animals will use the ponds to breed between March and June and will use the habitat that Long Lands Common will provide for the rest of the year.
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The Long Lands Common December newsletter says:
“Given the situation of the site close to an existing pond, and with the landscape corridors provided by the railway cutting and Bilton beck, once habitats on-site start to become more natural, it is very likely that this baseline will increase in both diversity and absolute numbers as well as the additional benefits for species diversity and human enjoyment of the site that the presence of the ponds will bring.”
In 2020, around 3,000 people bought shares in the land. The appeal raised £375,000 to purchase 30 acres of land near the Nidderdale Greenway and protect it from development.
An official open day was held on the land for people who pledged money in July.
A detailed plan for the site is set to be submitted to Harrogate Borough Council in February. Thousands of trees will eventually be planted there.
Newts delay junction 47 A1(M) upgrade near KnaresboroughThe discovery of great crested newts has delayed the A1(M) junction 47 upgrade near Knaresborough — which is now set to overrun by at least six months.
North Yorkshire County Council, the highways authority, also revealed today the scheme was set to cost considerably more than the original £7.7m budget.
It said spending had racked up to £10 million by September and “the latest estimated costs are the subject of detailed discussions with the council’s contractor and will be publicly available once agreement is confirmed”.
It said in a statement:
“Encountering unforeseen poor ground conditions on the southbound slip road has significantly restricted the speed of work taking place and the methods that can be used.
“In addition, the discovery of great crested newts caused a delay as they legally had to be relocated. During the coronavirus pandemic, operatives had to comply with secure site procedures which also extended the timescale.”
Work by contractors Farrans Construction began in September last year to widen three of the four slip roads and install traffic lights to prevent vehicles queueing.
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It was initially due to finish in September but the council said in August that “unforeseen ground conditions” meant it would finish this month.
North Yorkshire County Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, said:
“We are looking forward to the completion of this important scheme, which anticipates significant residential and commercial development along the A59 corridor.
“The prolongation of the schedule is not expected to cause disruption to traffic flows at the junction and will be accompanied by additional safety work on the vehicle restraint systems on the A1M slip roads.
“Whilst progress on construction works will depend upon winter weather conditions, we are confident that we can fully complete the scheme by spring.
‘Long-term benefits’
As well as widening the slip roads, traffic signals will be installed on the roundabout to improve traffic flow. Signals will also be added to the T-junction between the A168 and the A59, a short distance from junction 47 on the York side to benefit drivers turning onto the A59 and to improve safety.
To the west of Junction 47, between the A1 and the Flaxby roundabout, a lane will be added for traffic travelling east, so there will be two lanes in each direction between those two roundabouts.
Cllr Andy Paraskos, member for the Ainsty division, added:
“The delays to the project are unfortunate, but unforeseen issues are always a risk on major schemes like this. We can look forward to the long-term benefits from next spring for residents, commuters and visitors for many years to come.”
The project has been funded by £2.47m from the government’s Local Growth Fund, secured by the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership, along with contributions from the county council, National Highways and developer Forward Investment LLP.
Project launched to protect Nidderdale’s ponds
Can you help save and protect Nidderdale’s ponds?
Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is looking for volunteers for a project to survey Priority Ponds, which are ponds with high ecological value and that may support species of high conservation importance such as toads and newts.
The AONB’s new Priority Ponds project officer, Kate Wright, will survey toad populations next spring, as well as carrying out clean water tests.
Ms Wright hopes to recruit and train around 50 volunteers to survey a minimum of 100 ponds across Nidderdale.
She said:
“I’m hoping to share my passion for ponds and the excitement of discovering varied species in and around the water. I am particularly fond of toads, and hope that we can learn more about their distribution through the project. It’s also a joy to be working in beautiful Nidderdale AONB.”
Read more:
As well as providing training for the pond surveys, short courses will be run in specialist areas, such as dragonfly identification and pond management.
The project is thanks to funding through Yorkshire Water’s Biodiversity Programme and is in partnership with national charity, the Freshwater Habitats Trust.
If you’d like your pond to be considered for surveying contact the AONB here.