New drone pictures show how work is progressing on a Darlington cemetery. 

Darlington Borough Council is spending £6.4m on West Cemetery, in Carmel Road North.

Read more: Work to restart at Darlington cemetery after great crested newt sighting

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The investment will see a new chapel with seats for more than 100 people, replacement of cremators and equipment, modernisation of facilities, and an additional car park and is due to be completed this year.

Work started last March but was delayed by several weeks after a Great Crested Newt was spotted near where it was taking place.

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DNA evidence of the protected species was found at a nearby pond, but later the council received a district level licence from Natural England to allow work to continue on the new chapel.

Great crested newts are a protected species, which means the animals and their eggs, breeding sites and resting places are protected by law.

Natural England runs a licensing scheme in parts of the country, which allows work on sites where the newts have been found but involves developers having to create or restore habitat.

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The council says its initial ecological surveys had not revealed evidence of newts but a sighting was reported close to the site, which was investigated and DNA samples taken from pond areas in the adjacent allotment.

Speaking last year, Councillor Andy Keir, Darlington Borough Council's cabinet member for local services, said: “We are working closely with the ecologist and Natural England which have indicated we can resume works.

“Construction work to the existing crematorium building within West Cemetery is progressing well.”

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