Newts and Toads relocated to Wanstead Flats?

An extract from the Wanstead and Woodford Guardian of October 15th 2009 reads "Thousands of Newts and Toads have been moved to a new home in Wanstead to make way for work on the Olympic Site. More than 2000 amphibians have been released in specially created ponds on Wanstead Flats....".

Perhaps some questions need to be asked?

• Where are these new habitats?

• What studies were done to ascertain that no plant or animal life was unduly damaged in creating these habitats?

• What studies were done to prove that the introduction of these creatures would not be detrimental to the existing ecology? (eg were they disease-free?)

• What negotiations took place with the City of London Corporation - the Conservators of Epping Forest?

• Why were local conservation groups or naturalists not informed about this? (information like that would certainly help local naturalists and conservation groups in their studies of the area, yet as is so often the case, nobody has thought to inform us of what is going on.)

• Did this relocation actually happen?

Wanstead Flats is a threatened environment; it suffers considerably from man-made disturbance, be it useage or abusage. The loss of the cattle that have traditionally been grazed there has encouraged the growth of rank grasses and allowed increasing shrub invasion. A suggestion has been made (by the Superintendent of Epping Forest) that there may be a possible increase in sports facilities on the Flats - even including provisions of a new football pitch at the expense of rough grassland.

Water supplies to the Flats are increasingly scarce; marshy areas and even a spring have disappeared in recent years as supplies have been cut off, particularly due to road-works. How is it possible that NEW amphibian-friendly areas have been created under these circumstances?

We should be doing all we can to improve the facilities for wildlife on Wanstead Flats, be it skylarks or amphibians, but this needs careful planning. Was this the case with this relocation?

Paul Ferris, 19 October 2009