So long as you can be sure the daphne died for old age and not from disease then planting new one in the same spot with fresh compost shouldn't be a problem.

I understand that they are generally a short lived shrub

And if it or a new one flowers and sets berries, then sow some cleaned up kernels immediately ie fresh seed, leave to the weather and before long you will have enough D. mezureum plant to make a hedge.

We don't even bother doing that anymore Owdboggy, we just lift the self seeded seedlings :-)

the brids seem to eat the seeds off mine. I noticed a flower open on my D mezureum today :o) spring is on its way :o)))

'Fraid to say that the birds eat all the berries of all our Daphnes from alpina to mezureum and back. Never found a self seeded one anywhere. Now Holly.........

Birds don't seem to bother with ours at all...