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How to apply for a hazel dormouse mitigation licence (A35)

Updated 3 August 2026

Applies to England

You should only apply for a licence if the start date of the work is within 3 months. This is because conditions on site could change between the licence being issued and work starting, and your licence might not cover all of the impacts.

If you need advice on whether your proposal is likely to meet licensing requirements, you can use the pre-submission screening service.

To apply for a mitigation licence, you must complete an online application form. In the form you’ll be asked to complete and upload:

• a method statement – to show what you’ll do to reduce the impacts of the proposed work on hazel dormice
• relevant maps and figures as specified in the method statement
• a work schedule – to show when you’ll do the activities and in what order
• a signed declaration from either the applicant (the person, company or organisation who will hold the licence), the named ecologist, or both

You may also need to provide:

• information about the licence purpose, if it is not for imperative reasons of overriding public interest

• a reasoned statement to show that the activity fits the criteria and that there is no satisfactory alternative - read the section ‘Check whether you need a reasoned statement’ to find out whether you need one

• references to show that the ecological consultant has the necessary experience to apply for a mitigation licence (references will not be needed if they’ve been named on a mitigation licence for hazel dormice issued in the last 3 years)

You must also get all necessary consents and include copies of them.

If the work is part of a phased development (requiring more than one licence application) or multi-plot development, you must provide a:

• hazel dormouse master plan

• habitat management and maintenance plan

You’ll be prompted in your application to upload copies of these documents. 

To provide the relevant supporting evidence with your application: 

1. Download each required document and save it to your device. 

2. Complete each document with all the necessary information. 

3. Rename and upload the completed documents when prompted in the online application form. 

Natural England will usually decide whether to issue a licence within 30 working days of receiving your application.

1. Use the European protected species (EPS) licensing policies 

As part of your mitigation licence application, you may be able to use the EPS licensing policies to: 

• reduce the level of survey you need to carry out 

• reduce the mitigation requirements 

• improve flexibility on where you create habitats as a compensation measure 

Find out when and how to use European protected species policies to benefit EPS.

2. Check whether you need a reasoned statement

You may need to complete and upload a reasoned statement as part of your licence application, depending on your planned activity and its purpose. Some activities have exemptions.

2.1 Housing developments

You do not need a reasoned statement for dormouse licence applications for housing developments, unless your application will impact more than one hectare of dormouse habitat.

2.2 Public utility works

A public utility supplier can be a public or private company that provides public services such as:

• energy (gas and electricity)
• water
• waste
• transport (road and rail)
• communications infrastructure

You do not need to include a reasoned statement if hazel dormice and their habitats will be affected by:

• repair, maintenance, restoration or renovation of existing infrastructure
• removal of infrastructure that’s no longer needed, such as road signage or cabling
• replacement or upgrading of existing public utility infrastructure
• essential works to prevent serious damage to property, preserve public health and safety, or to allow continued intended and appropriate use of the infrastructure

If you are constructing or installing new infrastructure such as laying pipes and cables or putting up road signs or telegraph poles, you do not need to include a reasoned statement where:

• the impact to hazel dormice is temporary and the habitat will be restored to its original or a comparable state once works are complete 
• there is negligible permanent habitat loss - as a guide, less than one square metre for the footprint of each road sign or telegraph pole installed 
• the same resource, shelter, protection and suitability as a breeding site or resting place will be available when works are complete

You must include a reasoned statement for works to install new infrastructure that will cause a permanent loss of hazel dormouse habitat.

2.3 Complete the reasoned statement form

Unless your activity meets one of the exemptions, you must upload an EPS reasoned statement in your application.

If your activity does meet one of the exemptions, you do not need to complete a reasoned statement. You’ll be asked in your application which exemptions, if any, apply.

3. Apply for a licence 

Before applying for a licence you should know or have ready: 

• your most recent application reference number, if you’ve applied before 
• the main purpose and details of the proposed work and any consents, planning commitments, approvals and conditions
• evidence that supports your reason for applying, for example a letter or report that explains the issue, or photographs 
• the Companies House registration number or registered charity number, if applying as an organisation 
• the applicant’s details and an alternative contact’s details, if you want to give one 
• the contact details, experience, qualifications and references for the named ecologist – they must be registered to use a hazel dormouse class licence survey licence level 1 (CL10a) or higher, or equivalent 
• the site details and location 
• details of previous licences and other licence applications for the site or project 
• details of the licensable activities you’re applying for, including the dates of the work 
• maps and figures to support your application – you’ll be told in the application what you need to provide, depending on your answers 
• signed declaration forms from the applicant and named ecologist 

4. What happens next

The applicant, named ecologist and any additional named contacts will receive an acknowledgement email confirming:

• the application reference number
• the expected charge for the licence, based on the information in the application form

We aim to give the licence decision within 30 working days. If you are applying early or under exceptional circumstances, we will review your application to confirm if we can accept it.

5. Request a change to your existing licence 

For all changes, you must:

• complete the modification request form 

• include the licence reference number 

• have both the ecologist and the licensee sign the form 

• include any amended documents or figures, dated appropriately, as stated on your request form (highlight changes within documents and strikeout deleted text) 

For a change of licensee, you must include with your licence modification request form: 

• a letter or email from the previous licensee explaining what is proposed 

• a letter or email from the new licensee confirming that they accept the agreed mitigation proposals relating to the licence 

• the change of licensee or named ecologist form with section 1 completed by the new licensee 

For a change of named ecologist, you must include with your licence modification request form: 

• a letter or email from the previous ecologist explaining what is proposed 

• a letter or email from the new ecologist confirming that they accept the agreed mitigation proposals relating to the licence 

• the change of licensee or named ecologist form with section 2 completed by the new ecologist

If your licence was issued before 2015, meaning it includes a licensed method statement, you must:

• provide a summary of progress stating what has been completed and what is left to complete 

• provide a summary of the animals captured or disturbed during the licensed works so far 

• include a list of the changes to the licensed method statement and other documents 

• state whether there are any implications for the ‘favourable conservation status’ of the licensed species as a result of the proposed changes 

• complete an updated method statement, dated appropriately, with all changes clearly highlighted (even if you only need to modify the work schedule) 

• include all maps and figures that support your method statement

6. When you may need to pay 

You may need to pay for this licence or a change to your licence for certain development work. At the end of the online application, or after submitting your licence modification request form, you’ll be told:

• if you need to pay 

• how much you’ll pay 

The cost of a new A35 licence is either: 

• a fixed price of £780 

• a variable price depending on the time taken to assess your application 

Natural England calculates the cost of variably priced licences to the nearest quarter of an hour of work, based on an hourly rate of £121 plus a £219 compliance check. We will not carry out a compliance check on every licence, but this fee recovers the costs of our overall compliance activity. 

You may be exempt from licence charges under The Wildlife Licence Charges (England) Order 2025 if the main purpose of your hazel dormouse mitigation licence application is to: 

• preserve public health or safety 

• prevent the spread of disease 

• prevent serious damage to property 

• conserve a historic property 

• complete a householder home improvement project to a single home

If you resubmit your application after a ‘further information request’, you must pay both the: 

• fixed or variable price for assessing your original application - we will have confirmed if it was fixed or variable price when you applied 

• variable price for assessing your resubmitted application 

If you need to modify your existing licence, you will pay the variable price if your licence is not exempt.

Read the terms and conditions for paying for a wildlife licence.

7. How to pay 

Natural England will send you an invoice if they approve your application. 

You can pay by: 

• electronic bank transfer 

• debit or credit card by telephone (except American Express) 

• cheque 

Your invoice will give details for these payment methods. 

You need to include the invoice number with your payment so Natural England can match it to your application. 

VAT does not apply to charges for wildlife licences. 

Natural England accepts purchase orders. If you want Natural England to add a purchase number to your invoice, you must include it in the invoice details in your application form.

8. How to report your actions 

You must report any actions you took using this licence.

You must report no later than 2 weeks after your licence expires, even if you’ve taken no action. You may be asked to submit interim reports too.

Send your completed form by post or email to Natural England using the details on the form.

The report form you use depends on when your licence was granted. If it was granted:

• before summer 2013, use the European protected species report form

• after summer 2013, use the hazel dormouse licence report form found on Hazel dormice: apply for a mitigation licence (A35)