Policy papers and consultations

Find out about plans to change some of the fees Natural England charges for wildlife licences.

• From: Natural England
• Updated: 6 February 2024

Action the government is taking to reduce the impact of nutrient pollution on protected sites and enable sustainable development.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Updated: 28 June 2023

• Nutrient pollution: reducing the impact on protected sites

  Executive summary Nutrient pollution is an urgent problem for our…

How Defra arrived at its decision to issue the GL43 gamebird general licence, valid from 31 May 2023 to 30 May 2025.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Updated: 31 May 2023

• Defra’s 2023 Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) and decision to issue general licence GL43: ‘Gamebirds: licence to release common pheasants or red-legged partridges on certain European sites or within 500m of their boundary’

  Introduction This document is the Defra 2023 Assessment under Regulation…

• Background and other supporting documents

  Background The release of common pheasants or red-legged partridges into…

Seeking views on proposals to change the measurement used in reporting the condition of sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) in England.

• From: Natural England
• Updated: 4 November 2022

This paper outlines the laws protecting Eurasian beavers and their habitats and the steps to follow when managing Eurasian beavers in England.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and 1 others
• Updated: 2 September 2022

The UK government’s approach on the trade of seal products and details of the ban on these products including relevant exemptions.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Updated: 15 June 2022

How Defra arrived at its decision to issue the gamebird general licence (GL43), valid from 31 May 2022 to 30 May 2023.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Updated: 31 May 2022

Seeking views on whether to introduce further restrictions on hunting trophies entering or leaving the UK.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Updated: 10 December 2021

We are asking for evidence to help us understand more about the scale of imports and export of hunting trophies to and from the UK, and their impacts.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Updated: 10 December 2021

Seeking views on the proposed interim general licence for the release of pheasants and red-legged partridges on European Protected Sites in England.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Updated: 12 May 2021

A copy of the register of European sites in England, which is maintained by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 31 May 2021.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Updated: 5 May 2021

The main points and processes of the 2019 Regulations, which amend the Habitats Regulations 2017 that transpose the Habitats and Wild Birds Directives, to make them operable from 1 January 2021.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Updated: 1 January 2021

We're seeking views on a draft Habitats Regulations Assessment for a review of consented wind farms in the Southern North Sea cSAC/SCI.

• From: Closed organisation: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
• Updated: 25 September 2020

Seeking views about the recent withdrawal of the three general licences (GL04, GL05 and GL06) for the management of wild birds.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and 1 others
• Updated: 11 July 2019

Natural England is seeking views on the proposal to extend the Special Protection Area and Ramsar site, and notify and de-notify sites of special scientific interest in the area.

• From: Natural England
• Updated: 18 April 2019

Natural England is seeking views on the proposal to extend the Isles of Scilly Special Protection Area (SPA) to protect important birds.

• From: Natural England
• Updated: 26 February 2019

We are consulting on proposals to extend the Flamborough Head and Bempton Cliffs SPA and revise the landward boundary of the Flamborough Head SAC

• From: Natural England
• Updated: 23 November 2018

Natural England is seeking views on proposals to extend Crouch and Roach Estuaries Site of Special Scientific Interest, Special Protection Area, and Ramsar site.

• From: Natural England
• Updated: 2 October 2018

Natural England, Joint Nature Conservation Committee and Natural Resources Wales are seeking views on proposed changes to Liverpool Bay / Bae Lerpwl Special Protection Area (SPA).

• From: Natural England and 1 others
• Updated: 31 August 2018

Natural England is seeking views on using its byelaw-making powers to protect SSSIs from damage or deterioration.

• From: Natural England
• Updated: 27 June 2018