Objectives

• Raise awareness of the need to maintain and extend amphibian* populations and encourage participation in their conservation.
• Survey and monitor all known sites of Great Crested Newt and Common Toad and other amphibian populations, and survey potential new locations across Barnsley.
• Maintain the range, distribution and abundance of existing amphibian* populations and if possible create areas for their potential expansion.
• Promote and monitor positive conservation management of sites that support amphibians* [See good practice]
• Ensure important amphibian* sites are protected through designation as Local Wildlife Sites. The site boundaries should contain appropriate terrestrial habitat requirements.

[* in particular Great Crested Newt and Common Toad]

What has been done

• Amphibians benefit from
• Wetland creation schemes
• Farm ponds restoration under for example stewardship schemes.
• Creation of GCN breeding ponds at Ferrymoor and Royds reservoir
• Surveys have identified other water bodies with GCN and other amphibians including parts of Barnsley canal at Wilthorpe, Dearne Hall Road, Lower Barugh and Wentworth Business park, Tankersley.
• Work to maintain in positive management for GCN and other amphibians.
• Keepers Pond at Wentworth Castle
• Pond at Royds Moor reservoir. YW 2021
• …

Pond creation/restoration as a result of agreed mitigation in planning permission

• Retention of pond and surroundings at Dearne Valley Parkway, Rockingham by Harworth Estates, 2020

District Level Licensing (DLL) for Great Crested Newt introduced, BMBC, NE. 2021

DLL pond creation/maintenance for GCN undertaken by Wildscapes, under Natural England DLL Scheme, 2021-

• Tyers Hall and New Hall Farms, Ardsley
• … …

Marking progress

• Number of 1km squares with records of amphibian* species
• Identified sites maintained with good amphibian populations.
• Number of sites with good populations of Great Crested Newt
• Number of sites with good populations of Common Toad
• Number of sites with populations of amphibians under positive conservation management / favourable habitat suitability.

Important amphibian sites:

• Sowell Pond LWS
• Wentworth Business Park, Tankersley
• Stainborough Park (Keepers Pond and Serpentine) LWS
• Wogden Foot LWS
• Royd Moor reservoir LWS
• Barnsley Canal at Wilthorpe Marsh LWS
• Dearne Hall Road, Low Barugh
• Cudworth Common…

Proposed actions …

• Pond creation/restoration as a result planning permission with agreed mitigation
• Pond creation/restoration through GCN District Level Licensing (DLL) scheme.
• Conservation management of DLL sites for >25 years
• Conservation management at LWS sites with good GCN &/or Toad populations
• Additional sites with good populations of amphibians* identified for designation, protected and conserved.

Amphibian Actions

Licensed survey for Great Crested Newts