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Statutory guidance

Water voles: licence to displace them for work on flood defences, water courses or drainage systems (CL24)

Register to use a licence to displace water voles to allow Internal Drainage Boards to carry out works that could disturb or damage their burrows and report actions taken under this licence.

Updates to this page

From:
Natural England
Published:
29 February 2016
Last updated:
22 September 2026
Show all updates

  1. New online registration form as well as a combined report of action and monitoring form.

  2. Updated this licence to cover the period 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2030.

  3. Changed the scientific name of water voles to Arvicola terrestris for the purpose of this licence. We have added a new information and advice note (note e).

  4. Updated this licence to cover the period 1 January to 31 December 2025. Reworded several sections to make the information clearer, including the sections on 'Registering to use this licence' and 'Recording and reporting requirements'. Additional techiniques added to the section on 'What this licence permits'. Amended licence conditions (conditions 7, 9 and 16) and an information and advice note (note d). Added additional licence conditions (conditions 4 and 8) and an information and advice note (note b); these have been renumbered following the addition of the new conditions and note.

  5. There is an update to this licence for 1 January 2024.

  6. Licence updated to cover the purpose of reasons of overriding public interest. Annual updates valid from 1 January 2023.

  7. Annual licence update, valid from 1 January 2022.

  8. Annual licence update.

  9. Accessible version of licence added - HTML.

  10. Replaced licence with new version issued 1 January 2020

  11. Replaced licence with new version issued 1 January 2019. Replaced registration and report forms with updated versions.

  12. Replaced licence with new version issued 1 January 2018

  13. Annual licence update 2017.

  14. Annual licence update 2017.

  15. Added monitoring form.

  16. First published.

Applies to England

Documents

Licence to allow Internal Drainage Boards to intentionally displace water voles for work on flood defences, water courses or drainage systems (CL24)

HTML

Details

You must now have a licence to intentionally disturb water voles and move them from their original location by ‘displacement’.

This licence is for employees of Internal Drainage Boards (the local public authorities with powers to manage water levels within their drainage districts) or anyone acting on behalf of them.

This licence lets you intentionally displace water voles and damage, destroy or obstruct their burrows to maintain or restore flood defences, drainage systems and water courses (such as rivers and streams) . This licence can only be used:

  • to preserve public health or safety
  • to prevent serious damage to livestock, animal feed crops, growing timber, fisheries or any other property
  • for reasons of overriding public interest

You can:

  • cut vegetation over the burrow back to bare earth in spring and autumn and if required remove water from the water course (known as ‘water draw-down’)
  • carry out a destructive search of water vole burrows following removal of vegetation
  • destroy the empty burrow after a destructive search

You should apply for an individual licence if you cannot follow the terms and conditions of this licence.

On this page you can:

Register with Natural England

You must register with Natural England before you can use this licence.

Only employees, contractors or consultants acting on behalf of Internal Drainage Boards are eligible to register to use this licence. Natural England will confirm your registration in writing. You must not carry out any licensed activities until you receive written confirmation of your registration.

Complete the registration form

Complete the registration form for a new licence.

Register for a CL24 class licence to displace water voles for work on flood defences, water courses or drainage systems

Using your licence for another year

If you plan to use your licence for another year, confirm this on your water vole licence report of action form when you report the actions taken under this licence.

You should check for any amendments to the terms and conditions of use on the latest published version of this licence.

Report actions taken under this licence

You must use the water vole licence report of action form, to report any actions taken under this licence together with any monitoring undertaken to check for the presence of water voles at sites where displacement has taken place. Report your action between 1 and 30 November each year, even if you’ve taken no action or did not find the target species.

You will be asked:

  • for your licence details
  • details of all displacement activities undertaken using this licence (this also includes works conducted by Accredited Agents and Assistants acting under their authority)
  • details of monitoring undertaken to check for the presence of water voles at sites where displacement has taken place
  • if you want to continue using your licence for another year

Submit a water vole displacement CL24 class licence report of action and monitoring

Get help

If you need help with registering for a class licence or completing your licence return form, contact enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk.

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