After a new housing development near Sowerby Bridge was completed, local naturalists started to report seeing large numbers of toads being killed on the newly built road when migrating to their breeding pond. The large size of the toad population had not been noted during the planning stages for the development so it had not been factored in to the plans.
The council took the matter very seriously and approached the developer to install a wildlife tunnel retrospectively. The road was closed to traffic while it was dug up and the tunnel was installed. This will make a massive difference to the toads in the area because they can now pass safely under the road to their breeding pond. A camera has been installed in the tunnel to monitor the usage and to check that the tunnel is working well for toads and other wildlife. This is an excellent result for toads and a demonstration of how we can make a difference for wildlife when developers, the public and the council all work together.
Sign our Wildlife Tunnel Campaign: Give Wildlife the Green Light – Build Wildlife Tunnels to save the Common Toad