Four new ponds have been created at Hanningfield Reservoir to help support the local Great Crested Newt population.  

Froglife Ecological Services (FES), a charity with a specific remit to conserve reptile and amphibian species, provided the hard work to create the ponds under the District Level Licencing scheme by Natural England.  FES are an appointed habitat delivery body that and improve pond habitats for Great Crested Newts in Essex. 

It is one of the many ways that Essex & Suffolk Water is delivering on its environment strategy to support local ecology in its area - because water and nature go hand-in-hand.  

Charlotte Bradley, Conservation Advisor at Essex & Suffolk Water, said: “As a protected species, Great Crested Newts are of international importance, and we’re very lucky to have them here in Essex.  

“We were keen to be part of Natural England’s scheme and are grateful to Froglife Ecological Services for creating the ponds and for the ongoing maintenance, which we have agreed will be in place for the next 25 years.” 

James McAdie, FES Operations Manager, added: “It has been a pleasure to work with the enthusiastic team here at Essex and Suffolk Water and I am very excited to see how these ponds develop in the future. Through the DLL scheme we have already this year created 36 new ponds for GCN and wildlife in general,” 

Great Crested Newts are black with an orange belly and as amphibians, they breed in ponds during the spring and spend the rest of their six-to-15-year lifespan feeding on invertebrates in woodland, hedgerows, marshes and grassland.  

To find out more about Essex & Suffolk Water’s environment strategy, please visit our website.