King Charles has long been passionate about wildlife and the environment, and his latest home upgrade is putting his eco-conscious principles on full display. The monarch, 77, has submitted plans to the King's Lynn and West Norfolk Council, the council that is local to the Sandringham estate, to have six ponds installed on the grounds of the royal property. The proposed ponds are due to be lined by a reedbed with the intention of supporting the local ecosystem, in particular, to help save the endangered great crested newt species.
If granted permission, the father of the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex will have the ponds built this autumn on the farmland near the village of Wolferton. In his application to the local council, the King highlighted the impact of the proposed ponds on the native birds, mammals, reptiles, and invertebrates.
© Bav MediaThe area encircled in red will be home to the new pond
"As well as enhancing the local landscape, the ponds will seek to strengthen the local biodiversity in both the immediate future and long-term; including supporting the population of Great Crested Newts (GCN) within the wider area," the planning statement read, adding: "Once created, the waterbodies will provide a valuable water source for grazing animals as well as creating opportunities for a myriad of local wildlife including birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles and invertebrates within the farmed landscape."
© Bav MediaKing Charles wants to create six ponds on his Royal Sandringham estate to help save endangered Great Crested Newts
What will the King's new ponds be like?
The ponds will not only be a short-term solution to the declining Great Crested Newt population. For the first two years of their existence, the ponds will be fenced off but thereafter, they will be used for the land's cattle to drink from. It will hopefully signal a new phase for wildlife in the area as there have been no records of Great Crested Newts within two kilometres of the proposed site within the last 10 years.
However, the aim of the new ponds and reedbeds is to provide additional suitable breeding and foraging habitats for amphibians, as well as extra foraging and sheltering areas for creatures such as brown hare, badgers and hedgehogs. Sandringham isn't just a royal residence, but the entire estate sits in the Norfolk coast area of outstanding natural beauty and around 437 acres of the area are already listed as Sites of Specific Scientific Interest and, therefore, protected by Natural England.
© Getty ImagesCharles spends every Christmas at Sandringham with his family
"Sandringham has been a huge focus for King Charles over the past few years, with a number of renovation projects taking place within the grounds," HELLO!'s Homes Editor, Rachel Avery, tells us. "He's now got a solar farm and an eco-friendly topiary garden, so the ponds are his latest eco effort. Charles has always been a pioneer for the environment, seeking more sustainable farming and planting methods long before it was trendy."
© Bav MediaCharles is aware of how Sandringham can become more eco-friendly
How is the Sandringham estate eco-friendly?
With the idea of preserving the area for future generations in mind, the King has already instated a number of conservation and sustainability measures. The estate's farming output is already organic, and the 2,000-strong flock of Aberfield sheep and beef shorthorn cattle produce grass-fed meat. In addition, the estate has removed single-use plastics from its cafes and introduced a biomass boiler to heat Sandringham House.
© Getty ImagesCharles recently opened a glamping village
More recently, the husband of Queen Camilla added a sizeable glamping village to enable visitors to get up close and personal with the local wildlife from the comfort of a lodge with WiFi and showers. "His Majesty is a savvy, switched-on businessman, and this is a lucrative move for the royal family. It's also lovely for members of the public to spend longer at this special royal estate," Rachel Avery said at the time of the announcement.
