Consultation outcome

Wildlife licensing: comment on a new licence to move water voles for development purposes

Applies to England

This consultation has concluded

Download the full outcome

Business engagement assessment: impact of the licence on businesses

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Detail of outcome

Natural England has reviewed the responses to this consultation. See the business engagement assessment (attached above) for full details of the outcome.


Original consultation

Summary

Natural England is seeking views on the proposal to issue a new class licence to permanently move water voles for development purposes (licence CL31).

This consultation ran from
to

Consultation description

Water voles and their burrows are protected by the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 (as amended), which means they need to be kept safe from harm or injury where development is allowed to take place.

Natural England proposes a new class licence for ecological consultants to allow the movement of water voles from locations in England where legal development activities could disturb, injure or kill them or damage their burrows.

Under the new licence ecological consultants can continue with best practice management whilst reducing the risk of prosecution.

Documents

New class licence: to permanently move water voles for development purposes (draft licence CL31)

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Business engagement assessment: possible impact of the licence on businesses

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.
Published 31 August 2015
Last updated 21 January 2016 + show all updates
  1. Published outcome.

  2. First published.