Water Voles

Water voles receive legal protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.  Where there are waterbodies on a development site (ditches, rivers, streams and ponds) a water vole survey may be required.  As of January 2016, any mitigation work relating to water vole requires a licence issued by Natural England.

Danny is a very experienced water vole surveyor and has held conservation licences for water voles and worked on translocation projects. Danny holds a CL31 Class Licence for intentional disturbance and damage or destruction of water vole burrows by means of displacement.  This allows for small scale mitigation through displacement techniques.

Badgers

Badgers are protected under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992. It is an offence to wilfully kill, injure, take, possess or ill-treat a badger; and to intentionally or recklessly interfere with a sett.

Our team have proven experience in providing advice on appropriate mitigation for badgers and have experience applying and obtaining licences for sett closures and sett disturbance during construction. In addition, we provide Ecological Clerk of Works services during construction works.

Otters

Otters and their habitat are fully protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) and The Conservation of Species and Habitats Regulations 2010. It is an offence to capture, injure or kill an otter, disturb an otter in a holt, and to damage or destroy a breeding site.

Otters are also listed as a Species of Principal Importance (NERC Act 2006) and a UK BAP Priority Species and are therefore a material consideration in developments which may affect a watercourse, or occur within proximity to habitat that may be suitable for otter.

We can offer comprehensive otter surveys to ensure that otters are considered appropriately. We have experience advising on projects where otters are a constraint to development and have undertaken surveys, designed mitigation strategies and post-development management plans and can provide ecological supervision during construction works.