Great crested newt discoverydelays £20m hospital scheme

A SINGLE newt is holding up the development of a 20m hospital.

The great crested newt, which is protected by European and British law, was found by a surveyor near a water trough on 10 acres of land off Swinermoor Lane, in Beverley.

The discovery at the end of last year means a full survey must now be carried out, holding up the development for six months.

Some residents have insisted it’s the wrong location for a hospital, as it’s greenfield, flooded in 2007 and is on a busy road. Conservation group the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust had also objected about the impact on wildlife.

Planning permission was given last September amid warnings that the funding would disappear if the plans weren’t agreed against a tight deadline.

In a statement, chief executive of NHS East Riding Ivan Ellul said: “We want the new hospital to be up and running as soon as possible so any delay is naturally disappointing. But it is just a delay.”