This is Natural England’s ‘standing advice’ for water voles. It is a material planning consideration for local planning authorities (LPAs).(LPAs). You should take this advice into account when making planning decisions. It forms part of a collection of standing advice for protected species.. You should read this guidance alongside Protected species and development: advice for local planning authorities. 

Following this advice:advice: 

• avoids the need for you to consult on the impacts of planning applications on water voles in most casescases 
• can help you make decisions on development proposalsproposals 

You may need a qualified ecologist to advise you on the planning application and supporting evidence. You can find one using either the:the: 

• Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) directory 
• Environmental Data Services directory 

Qualified ecologists should follow the:published guidelines such as: 

• Water Vole ConservationMitigation Handbook 20112016 - published by the WildMammal Conservation Research Unit, University of OxfordSociety
• Water Vole MitigationConservation Handbook 20162011 - published by the MammalWild SocietyConservation Research Unit, University of Oxford 

How water voles are protectedprotected 

Water voles are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It is an offence to intentionally:intentionally: 

• kill, injure or take themthem 
• possess or control them (alive(or any part, alive or dead)dead) 

It is also an offence to intentionally or recklessly:recklessly: 

• damage or destroy a structure or place used for shelter or protectionprotection 
• disturb them inwhile they occupy a structure or place used for shelter or protectionprotection 
• obstruct access to a structure or place used for shelter or protectionprotection 
• possess or transport them (or any part, alive or dead) 
• sell, offer, or publish an advert to sell them

Water voles are also are: 

• listed as rareendangered andon mostthe Red threatenedList for England’s Mammals on the Mammal Society website
• included on the list of species of principle importance in England under Sectionsection 41 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act (2006).(2006) 

These Youdocuments mustmay havenot regardbe foraccessible to assistive technology.

You must consider the conservation of Sectionwater 41voles species as part of your planning decision. Find out more about your biodiversity duty.. 

The developer must comply with the legal protection of water voles.voles. 

You should consider if the developer has taken appropriate measures to avoid any negative effects on water voles in their development proposal. If not, check that they have mitigated or compensated for these effects.

The developer may need to apply for a water vole mitigation licence to carry out their proposals.development proposals. 

When to ask for a surveysurvey 

You should ask for a survey if distribution and historical records suggest water voles may be presentpresent. You - you can search the National Biodiversity Network Atlas by species and location.

Absence of a record does not mean there are no water voles. It could mean there is no survey data available for that location.location. 

You should also ask for a survey if the habitat is suitable for water voles, for example, if there are any of the following:are: 

• siltysoft shoreearth banks for burrowing or earth for digging
• wide swathes of soft vegetation growing from the banks and in the waterwater 
• slow-flowing water courses or clustered ponds and wetlands of varying depthsdepths 
• places for water voles to escape from predatorspredators 

Water voles can be present in habitats where water bodies are not connected. 

You must check if the ecologist is qualified and experienced to carry out surveys for water voles. CIEEM publishes:publishes: 

• competencies required for species surveys 
• advice on the valid age of ecological survey data

The ecologist should also follow the Biodiversity code of practice for planning and development (BS 42020:2013) available on the British Standards Institute website. These documents may not be accessible to assistive technology.

Assess the effect of development on water volesvoles 

Developers should submit qualitative and quantitative information with their planning application on how their development proposal avoids or mitigates harm to water voles.voles. 

Activities that can harm water voles include:include: 

• destroying or damaging their habitathabitat 
• destroying or disturbing places used for shelter or protectionprotection 
• changing water quality
• changing water depth 
• breaking connections or routes between habitats

To understand the level of mitigation needed, the development proposal needs to show:show: 

• how likely it is that water voles will be affected by any development workwork 
• the potential effects that work to the watercourse itself and work nearby would have on the water volevoles 

For information about water voles, their distribution and conservation status, read chapter 7.9 of Natural England’s ‘A Review of the Population and Conservation Status of British Mammals’. The document may not be accessible to assistive technology. 

Avoidance, mitigation and compensation measures

measures 

LookWhere forpossible examplesdevelopment ofproposals avoidance,should avoid negative effects on water voles. Where this is not possible, the developer will need to include adequate mitigation oror, as a last resort, compensation plansmeasures in thetheir development proposal.proposal to allow you to make a planning decision. 

Developers could redesign the development proposal to avoid:avoid: 

• working where there are water volesvoles 
• habitat fragmentation and isolation by maintaining habitat connectionconnection 
• damage to water vole habitathabitat 

Where this is not possible, mitigation measures could include encouraging water voles to move to an alternative connected habitat by removing vegetation, known as displacement.displacement. 

If largerthe areasdevelopment ofhas a negative impact on the water volevoles habitatthat willcannot be affected,mitigated for, the proposaldeveloper couldmust includecompensate capturingfor this. 

Any new habitat created for water voles andmust movingbe capable of supporting them tobefore athey suitableare receptordisplaced siteor awaymoved. fromIt theshould works,be knownnearby asand relocationwell byconnected trapping.to other suitable habitat for water voles.

AnyThe newcompensation habitatcould actinginclude: 

• providing asmore aor receptorbetter sitehabitat shouldfor bethe nearbywater andvoles, mustto bemake capableup offor supportingany lost through development 
• improving water volesquality 
• enhancing beforebank anyand trappingvegetation starts.
  structure 
• carrying out mink control 

Natural England will only grant a licence to translocate water voles off the development site or take them into captivity as a last resort. The translocation proposal should include evidence that removing water voles from the site will:that: 

• notthere haveis ano detrimentalsuitable effectalternative on the sourcedevelopment populationsite 
• benefitremoving water volevoles conservation

Tofrom compensatethe fordevelopment anysite negativewill effectsnot onhave thea waterdetrimental voleeffect oron its habitat, the proposalsource could include:

population 
• providingremoving morewater orvoles betterfrom habitat for the waterdevelopment voles,site towill makebenefit up for any lost through development
• improving water quality
• enhancingvole bank and vegetation structureconservation 
• carrying out mink control

For more information on mitigation plans and compensation measures, read thesection planners3 guideon forProtected protected species and developmentdevelopment: advice for local planning authorities.. 

Planning and licence conditions

conditions 

IfThe thedeveloper proposalmay isneed likely to affectapply for a water voles,vole themitigation developerlicence mustif applytheir foractivities aare waterlikely voleto mitigationaffect licence.water voles 

If the project affects less than 50m50 metres of bank, the developer can employ an ecologist registered under class licence CL31 to displace water voles.voles. 

BeforeYou may also need to add mitigation or compensation strategies as a condition of planning permission. Before you can grant planning permission, you mustmust: 

• work with the relevant ecologist to make sure these conditions do not conflict with the requirements of the water vole licence 
• be confident that Natural England will issue a licence.licence. Read section 4 of Protected species and development: advice for local planning authorities 

You do not need to consult Natural England on the wording or discharge (approval) of any conditions you impose on a planningdevelopment proposal. Natural England is unable to provide advice on this.

Natural England will not generally issue a licence until planning conditions relating to protected species have been discharged. This applies to conditions that are intended to be and capable of being discharged before development begins. 

Natural England will only confirm if you need a licence when the development proposal is a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP). 

Enhance biodiversity

biodiversity 

To meet your biodiversity duty, you should suggest ways for the developer to:to: 

• create new or enhanced habitats on the development site
• achieve aimprovements net gain in biodiversity through good design,design 
• follow suchother asrelevant greenplans roofs,and streetstrategies treesfor or sustainable drainagenature 

Site management and monitoringmonitoring 

You should consider the need for site monitoring and management. These measures are likely to be a condition of wildlife licences.licences. 

A site management and monitoring plan should include:include: 

• vegetation management to maintain shelter and foraging resourcesresources 
• managingmanagement of the potential risks from increased human presence and pollutionpollution 
• watermaintenance qualityor managementimprovement toof makewater surequality it’sand maintainedwater orlevels improved at the sitedevelopment site 
• monitoring of water vole populations after developmentdevelopment 

This can include carrying out management works to habitats and additional survey work to check that mitigation measures are working as intended, followed by remedial work if needed.