The Great Crested Newts and its habitat are protected by law because the species has declined significantly in recent decades largely due to habitat loss. Our Newt Fencing systems provide a solution to help protect against this loss.

Newt Fencing is a generic term for a wildlife barrier used to keep newts, other amphibians and reptiles in or out of a specific area. Newt fencing can also be used as part of a system to trap animals within the areas it encloses to enable that area to be cleared of fauna in order that site operations can be carried out. Other names commonly used for a newt fence are amphibian fencing, TAF (temporary amphibian fencing), GCN (Great Crested Newt) fencing, drift fencing and reptile fencing.

While there are occasional variations in the specifications for these forms of newt fencing, they all follow a similar form; the base of the newt fence being buried in a shallow trench, often with a right angle return underground (underlap) and a second section extending higher above the ground often with a right angle return on the top edge (overlap). It is very important that the excavated trench in which the newt fence is installed is backfilled and compacted to a high standard after the newt fence is erected to prevent newts from finding voids in the ground in which to hide, or providing them a passage underneath the newt fence.

Since trapping or exclusion of newts involves the approval of the method by English Nature/Natural England, and the issuing of a licence by DEFRA, the basic newt fencing design tends to follow that provided in the English Nature Great Crested Newt Mitigation Guidelines.

These guidelines suggest the use of polythene sheet supported by wooden stakes at regular intervals as the preferred system for newt fencing construction. This is still the most commonly used and most economical form of newt fencing, but it is not suited to all conditions and situations. Polythene sheeting is vulnerable to ultraviolet light and while it can be stabilised, it will only have a maximum lifespan of approx 2 years. It is also very vulnerable to physical damage, accidental or malicious. Consequently, where a more permanent or durable newt fencing solution is required, other materials such as our Permanent Newt Fencing (a rigid HDPE plastic board) or Permanent Steel Newt Fencing (Galvanised sheet steel) are employed. A lighter guage, Semi-permanent Newt Fencing system is also available that provides a combination of the flexibility of the polythene newt fence whilst providing a little more durability.

www.wildlifefencing.co.uk materials have been developed over a number of years in order to meet market and statutory requirements, and as such we are able to offer a wide variety of products that meet the customers needs. If you do not see the product that you require, please contact us and we will do our best to meet your requirements. We have also put together the full range of materials required to complete the task from timber stakes through to hard to find items such as pitfall traps and plastic washers.