Powys County Council has said it is looking for a "more permanent long-term solution" after 300 toads, frogs and newts were run over on a road it could not afford to close.
During the last two months, the Radnorshire Wildlife Trust has been monitoring the numbers of amphibians migrating to Llandrindod Lake to breed.
But the toads, frogs and newts have to cross a road to reach the lake, avoiding deep drainage gullies and climbing steep kerbs on the way. However, this year, the annual evening Toad Patrol, organised by the Wildlife Trust to help the toads safely cross the road, could not happen as the county council could not afford to close the road.
The Radnorshire Wildlife Trust says the impact of the road could be seen in the surveys it carried out over 17 evenings. Of the toads counted, 245 had been run over by traffic. Seventy-nine newts and frogs were also killed, including five great crested newts. A sixth great crested newt had drowned in one of the road’s drainage gullies.
A spokesperson for Powys County Council said: “A lot of toads are still migrating successfully but a more permanent long-term solution is definitely required and that needs to be cost effective and sustainable. The cost of erecting and dismantling barriers, cones and signage twice a day for several weeks plus the cost of the legal road traffic order and accompanying legal press notices is now prohibitive given the budgetary pressures the council faces.
“Even with the road closure, the steep kerbs and drainage gullies hinder their passage. Ideally, a solution needs to be found that is affordable, sustainable and enables the toads to migrate successfully across or under the road without the need for a road closure or toad patrol at all.
“We will continue to work with Radnorshire Wildlife Trust to explore potential solutions that are sustainable.”
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