A FAMILY who own a stately home have agreed to created a luxurious new pond for 150 great crested newts in a housing deal.

Virginia Grant, who lives at Kingston Bagpuize House, has had experts draw up the plan in a deal to build eight homes on land near the manor house.

The 240sq m pond is to be planted with mature native species such as water mint as part of the requirements outlined by Natural England, which has granted Mrs Grant a licence to move newts from the housing site.

The pond being planned by Chipping Norton consultants Lockhart Garratt will also have sloped sides to help the protected newts get in and out.

The plans are part of a deal that Mrs Grant and her planning agents Auclum Properties made with Vale of White Horse District Council in August 2016.

The planning committee gave Mrs Grant and Auclum permission to build eight houses on a patch of land east of Abingdon Road, opposite Kingston Bagpuize parish church.

Kingston Bagpuize and Southmoor Parish Council objected to the whole scheme on the basis it would harm the conservation area.

One of the conditions for permission was to get a licence from Natural England to move 150 newts affected by the build to a new, custom-made pond.

The council now has to sign off on the final designs.

Members of public can see the pond plans online at whitehorsedc.gov.uk using reference number P18/V0081/HH