IT may seem absurd that a tiny creature could get in the way of a major development which aims to create hundreds of jobs.

But the concern for the colony of rare great crested newts threatened by the plan to turn the former Michelin factory site in Burnley into a £2million technology centre is far from a misplaced priority.

For not only do these cute and unusual amphibians have protection in British and European law, they warrant it because their population is in rapid decline. It therefore follows that special efforts are needed to preserve those that remain -- even when their presence may conflict with a development as beneficial as that proposed for the Michelin site.

And, as we see, there are solutions to such problems. After liaising with Burnley Council and English Nature, the planning application being submitted by the North West Development Agency now incorporates a scheme to protect the newts -- with a barrier made out of stones and wire mesh.

It will prevent damage to the newts' wetland breeding area while the redevelopment takes place and will provide a winter hibernation habitat for them when the work is finished.

And whatever costs or extra work this adds to the technology centre project, it will, surely, be worth it. For, otherwise, the price might have been an already-endangered species becoming even more threatened -- and put at risk of being lost for ever. Who would want that?