Correspondence

Annex B: Provisions relating to licensed actions on or around protected sites in Avon

Published 7 September 2020

Applies to England

Licence annex B: Provisions relating to licensed actions on or around Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), Special Protection Areas (SPAs), Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), and/or Ramsar sites within the county of Avon

SSSI name	European Designated Site name (where applicable)	Licence condition
Ashton Court SSSI		All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint. Any decaying wood located within the sett footprint is to be left in situ if possible. If decaying wood must be moved then it should be moved no further than is necessary.
Avon Gorge SSSI	Avon Gorge Woodland SAC	All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint.
Banwell Caves SSSI	North Somerset & Mendip Bats SAC	Exclude site and no activities within 20m of cave/mine entrance.
Banwell Ochre Caves SSSI	North Somerset & Mendip Bats SAC	Exclude site and no activities within 20m of cave/mine entrance.
Barnhill Quarry		No additional conditions imposed
Barns Batch Spinney SSSI		No additional conditions imposed
Bickley Wood SSSI		No additional conditions imposed
Biddle Street, Yatton SSSI		All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Only cross at crossing points. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint. Any decaying wood located within the sett footprint is to be left in situ if possible. If decaying wood must be moved then it should be moved no further than is necessary.
Bishop’s Hill Wood		All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint. Delay access until after hay cut, mid-July.
Blagdon Lake		No licensed activities are permitted on this site. Delay access until after hay cut, mid-July. All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. The licensee must assist Natural England with the gathering of information on fox control taking place on, and in the vicinity of, this SSSI (see Notes A and B).
Bleadon Hill SSSI		No additional conditions imposed
Bodkin Hazel Wood		All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint.
Bourne SSSI		No additional conditions imposed
Bowlditch Quarry		No additional conditions imposed
Brinkmarsh Quarry		No additional conditions imposed
Brockley Hall Stables SSSI	North Somerset & Mendip Bats SAC	Exclude site and no activities within 20m of cave/mine entrance.
Brown’s Folly SSSI	Bath & Bradford on Avon Bats SAC	No access within 20m of any entrance to a cave, mine, shaft or adit. All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint or on improved/ semi-improved/scrub grassland areas
Buckover Road Cutting		No additional conditions imposed
Burledge Sidelands and Meadows		All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint. Delay access until after hay cut, mid-July.
Cattybrook Brickpit SSSI		No additional conditions imposed
Chew Valley Lake	Chew Valley Lake SPA	Exclude site from all licensed activities.
Cleaves Wood		All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Exclude vehicles from the supralittoral rock zone. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint. Any decaying wood located within the sett footprint is to be left in situ if possible. If decaying wood must be moved then it should be moved no further than is necessary.
Cleeve Wood, Hanham SSSI		All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint.
Clevedon Shore SSSI		No additional conditions imposed
Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines	Bath & Bradford on Avon Bats SAC	Exclude site and no activities within 20m of cave/mine entrance.
Compton Martin Ochre Mine	North Somerset & Mendip Bats SAC	Exclude site and no activities within 20m of cave/mine entrance.
Congrove Field and The Tumps SSSI		All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint.
Court Hill SSSI		No additional conditions imposed
Cullimore’s Quarry		No additional conditions imposed
Damery Road Section		No additional conditions imposed
Dolebury Warren SSSI		All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint.
Dundry Main Road South Quarry SSSI		No additional conditions imposed
Ellenborough Park West SSSI		All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint or areas of scrub.
Folly Farm		All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint. Delay access until after hay cut, mid-July.
Goblin Combe SSSI		All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint.
Gordano Valley SSSI		No licensed activities from 1 March to 31 August to avoid bird breeding season. All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint. No vehicle use within 5m of any watercourse, except on existing tracks. Except on existing tracks, no vehicle use nor placing traps alongside any watercourses or waterbodies, nor within any wet area, fen, bog or mire. The licensee must assist Natural England with the gathering of information on fox control taking place on, and in the vicinity of, this SSSI (see Notes A and B).
Ham Green SSSI		No additional conditions imposed
Hampton Rocks Cutting SSSI		No additional conditions imposed
Harptree Combe		All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint.
Hartcliff Rocks Quarry SSSI		No additional conditions imposed
Hawkesbury Meadow		All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint. Delay access until after hay cut, mid-July.
Hawkesbury Quarry		No additional conditions imposed
Hinton Charterhouse Field		All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint or areas of rhododendron or conifer plantation.
Hinton Charterhouse Pit		No additional conditions imposed
Hinton Hill, Wellow		No additional conditions imposed
Holly Lane SSSI		No additional conditions imposed
Horseshoe Bend, Shirehampton SSSI		All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint.
Huish Colliery Quarry		No additional conditions imposed
Iford Manor		Exclude site from 1 May to 30 September.
Kenn Church, Kenn Pier & Yew Tree Farm SSSI		No additional conditions imposed
Kilmersdon Road Quarry		No additional conditions imposed
King’s Wood and Urchin Wood SSSI	North Somerset & Mendip Bats SAC	All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks at all times. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint. No access within 20 metres of any entrance to a cave, mine, or shaft at any time of the year.
Long Dole Wood and Meadows		All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint. Delay access until after hay cut, mid-July.
Lower Woods		All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. No digging in of traps in the area of geological features. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint. Do not remove decaying wood from the set footprint unless absolutely necessary. If decaying wood must be moved then it should be moved no further than is necessary. Delay access until after hay cut, mid-July.
Lulsgate Quarry SSSI		No additional conditions imposed
Max Bog SSSI		All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint. Delay access until after hay cut, mid-July.
Middle Hope SSSI	Severn Estuary SPA	Except for vehicle use on existing roads and tracks, during the period from 1 September to 31 March, no licensed activities within 200 metres of any intertidal, saltmarsh, reed-bed or grazing marsh habitats. All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint.
Monkswood Valley SSSI		All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint. Delay access until after hay cut, mid-July.
Newton St. Loe		No additional conditions imposed
Nightingale Valley SSSI		No additional conditions imposed
North Road Quarry, Bath		No additional conditions imposed
Pen Park Hole SSSI		No additional conditions imposed
Plaster’s Green Meadows SSSI		All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint. Delay access until after hay cut, mid-July.
Portishead Pier to Black Nore SSSI		No additional conditions imposed
Purn Hill SSSI		All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint.
Puxton Moor SSSI		All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Only cross at crossing points. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint. Any decaying wood located within the sett footprint is to be left in situ if possible. If decaying wood must be moved then it should be moved no further than is necessary.
Quarry Steps, Durdham Down SSSI		No additional conditions imposed
Severn Estuary	Severn Estuary Ramsar Severn Estuary SPA Severn Estuary/ Môr Hafren SAC	No access to nor activities within any intertidal or saltmarsh habitat. Except for vehicle use on existing roads and tracks, no access or licensed activities within 200 metres of any intertidal, saltmarsh, fen, reed-bed or grazing marsh habitats and/or any established high tide roosts.
Shiplate Slait SSSI		All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint.
Slickstones Quarry, Cromhall		No additional conditions imposed
Spring Cove Cliffs SSSI		No additional conditions imposed
St. Catherine’s Valley SSSI		All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint. Delay access until after hay cut, mid-July.
Steep Holm SSSI	Severn Estuary Ramsar Severn Estuary SPA	Except for vehicle use on existing roads and tracks, during the period from 1 September to 31 March, no licensed activities within 200 metres of any intertidal, saltmarsh, reed-bed or grazing marsh habitats. All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint.
Stidham Farm SSSI		No additional conditions imposed
Tickenham, Nailsea and Kenn Moors SSSI		All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint. No vehicle use within 5m of any watercourse, except on existing tracks. Except on existing tracks, no vehicle use nor placing traps alongside any watercourses or waterbodies, nor within any wet area, fen, bog or mire.
Tytherington Quarry		No additional conditions imposed
Uphill Cliff SSSI	Mendip Limestone Grasslands SAC	All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint. No access within 20 metres of any entrance to a cave, mine, or shaft at any time of the year.
Upton Coombe		All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint. Delay access until after hay cut, mid-July.
Walton Common SSSI		All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint.
Weston Big Wood SSSI		All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint.
Weston-In-Gordano SSSI		No additional conditions imposed
Winterbourne Railway Cutting SSSI		No additional conditions imposed
Writhlington		No additional conditions imposed
Yanal Bog SSSI		All vehicles must be restricted to existing tracks. Limit location of traps to existing sett footprint or areas of scrub.

Notes to Annex B

General note on interpretation

Protected sites that are listed above are not necessarily part of any active operations. Active operations can and will only occur on protected sites where landowner/occupier permission has been granted.

Within the licence conditions, use of the word ‘avoid’ denotes a prohibition, i.e. it indicates that an area must be excluded from relevant activities or that activities must not be undertaken during the time period stated or in the manner described. Similarly, the word ‘restrict’ means that activities must be confined to the areas or time periods stated.

For further details on each protected site and its notified features of special interest and/or European Site qualifying features please enter the site name into the following link: https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteSearch.aspx.

Individual notes

Note A

Natural England will inform the licensee from time to time of the information it requires. This is likely to focus on whether fox control is routinely undertaken on the relevant site and/or on areas of participating land within a few kilometres of the site. The licensee is expected to use reasonable endeavours to assist Natural England with the gathering of this information.

Note B

Natural England may form the judgment that measures should be introduced to secure the protection of species associated with this site, such as fox control, anti-predator fencing, habitat management, or buffer zones in which badger control is not undertaken. Such measures may be secured through cooperation between licensees, landowners, occupiers, and/or public bodies. If it considers it necessary to do so, Natural England may: exercise its powers under sections 28J-K of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 or regulation 20 of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017; and/or revoke and re-issue this licence with revised terms (provided that such terms will be reasonable and proportionate in all of the circumstances).

Note W

European protected species are listed in Schedule 2 (animals) and Schedule 5 (plants) of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017. Nationally protected species are listed in Schedule 5 (animals) and Schedule 8 (plants) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended). Under these laws (regulations 43 and 47 of the 2017 Regulations and sections 9 and 13 of the 1981 Act), it can be an offence to:

• deliberately capture, injure or kill any wild animal of a European protected species
• intentionally kill, injure or take a nationally protected wild animal
• deliberately disturb wild animals of any European protected species
• intentionally or recklessly damage or destroy any structure or place which a nationally protected animal uses for shelter or protection, disturb such an animal while it is occupying such a structure or place, or obstruct access to any such structure or place
• damage or destroy a breeding site or resting place of any wild animal of a European protected species
• deliberately take or destroy the eggs of any wild animal of a European protected species
• deliberately pick, collect, cut, uproot or destroy a wild plant of a European protected species
• intentionally pick, uproot or destroy any nationally protected wild plant

Great crested newt, otter, dormouse, and sand lizard are European and nationally protected species.

Note Y

All birds, their eggs and nests (while in use or under construction) are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This licence does not allow you to take or destroy such nests. Birds species listed under Schedule 1 of that Act have additional legal protection so care must be taken to avoid their disturbance during the breeding season.

Note Z

All bats and their roosts (even when not occupied by bats) are protected by the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 and by The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017. This licence does not allow you to enter or obstruct any bat roost, nor to disturb any bat whilst it is occupying a roost. Care must be taken to avoid sustained human presence near, or artificial illumination of cracks and cavities in trees and man-made structures, and of any mounted boxes.