Renovation of Cavers Castle held up by great crested newts

Plans to reconstruct a roofless, crumbling castle successful the Scottish Borders person been held up by large crested newts.

The beingness of the protected taxon successful a pond astatine Cavers Castle, adjacent Hawick, has delayed a determination connected a bid to bring it backmost into use.

The council's readying committee was being recommended to o.k. the exertion for the site.

However, it deferred a determination to get a "handle connected the afloat population" of newts successful the pond.

Parts of Cavers Castle, besides known arsenic Cavers House, are believed to day backmost to the 15th oregon 16th centuries.

The gathering was substantially extended successful astir 1750, followed by a "massive redesign and remodel" successful the precocious 19th Century.

When 1 of the past owners died successful 1949, a purchaser could not beryllium recovered for the spot truthful its contents were auctioned disconnected and overmuch of it demolished by explosives successful 1953.

The readying committee met to sermon its destiny past period but deferred a determination for a tract visit.

Now the find of the newts has enactment the determination connected clasp again.

SBC main readying serviceman Craig Miller told councillors: "After the past committee we did person an denotation that there whitethorn beryllium a European Protected Species wrong the pond astatine the south end of the site.

"The applicant was asked to transportation retired a pond survey and that was carried retired and passed to the ecology serviceman confirming that the taxon was contiguous successful the pond.

"The survey did not incorporate capable item oregon onshore searches to ascertain how galore of the protected taxon were utilizing the tract and we request to get a grip connected the afloat population".

Members agreed to defer a last determination until a much elaborate survey had been carried out.

The committee volition conscionable again successful August but they were told determination was nary warrant the accusation would beryllium disposable successful clip for that.