This is Natural England’s ‘standing advice’ for white-clawed (or Atlantic stream) crayfish.crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes). It is a material planning consideration for local planning authorities. 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:

• avoids the need to consult on the negative effects of planning applications on white-clawed crayfish (WCC) in most cases
• can help you make decisions on development proposals

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

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

How white-clawed crayfish are protected

WCC are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.1981.   

It is an offence to intentionally: 

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

It is also an offence to intentionally takeor them.recklessly: 

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

Some WCC populations are qualifying features of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), so are also listedprotected asunder rarethe Conservation of Habitats and mostSpecies threatenedRegulations 2017. You can read on the Joint Nature Conservation Committee’s website which SACs have WCC as a qualifying feature. 

WCC are included on the list of species of principal importance in England under Sectionsection 41 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act (2006). You must haveconsider regard for the conservation of SectionWCC 41 species as part of your planning decision. Find out more about your biodiversity duty.. 

The developer must comply with the legal protection of WCC.

Youof should consider if the developer has taken appropriate measures to avoid, mitigate or compensate (as a last resort) for any negative effects on WCC in their development proposal.. 

The developer may need a licence for activities that affect WCC. 

The developer may need permission from the Environment Agency to trap crayfishWCC as part of their development proposal.

When to ask for a survey

You should ask for a survey if distribution and historical records suggest WCC 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 WCC. It could mean there is no survey data available for that location.

You should check that surveys are carried out from July to September.

WCC are vulnerable and are becoming endangered. The distribution of WCC might show the species is lost in an area, but there could be isolated (or refuge) populations still present.present. Translocations have taken place over recent years to restore WCC to sites where they had been lost.

WCC can be found in:

• rivers
• streams
• canals
• quarry pools and lakes

WCC need refuges to help them avoid being attacked or washed away in high waters. They use natural and artificial refuges, like rocks or rock baskets, tree roots and crevices that are:

• fully submerged
• big enough to cover the crayfish, but not too big for the size of animal
• stable and resistant to high waters
• aerated
• not being used by other wildlife

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

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

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

 

What to survey for

Survey work can include:

• manual hand searching (when the water is clear, the flow is low and it is safe)
• hand-netting
• night searching by torch (whenif waterit is deepsafe and slow-moving, or in pools that are too deep to search by hand) 
• trapping using aan baitedartificial plasticrefuge mesh trap approved and licenced by the Environment Agency (when water is too deep or cloudy for manual searches)searches) 
• eDNA surveys 

Baited traps are unsuitable in most areas because of the presence of other wildlife that may be impacted such as water voles, otters and water shrews.

Assess the effect of development on white-clawed crayfish

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

Activities that pose a potential threat to WCC include:

• introducing non-native crayfish by connecting previously unconnected watercourses
• spreading disease from poor biosecurity practice - developers should follow the check-clean-dry protocol, outlined on the GB Non-native Species Secretariat website protocol- may not be accessible to assistive technology 
• loss or modification of habitathabitat 
• breaking up habitat by obstructing WCC movement, for example from new culvertsculverts 
• a reduction in habitatwater quality
• a reductionand inquantity water quality from changes to water flow, increased siltation, decreased oxygenation or pollution incidents

Avoidance, mitigation and compensation measures

ToWhere possible development proposals should avoid possiblenegative effects on WCC,.  developersWhere couldthis redesignis not possible, the proposaldeveloper to:

• avoidwill carryingneed outto workinclude adequate mitigation or, as a last resort, compensation measures in ortheir neardevelopment theproposal waterbody
• alterto theallow timingyou ofto works,make doinga workplanning atdecision. 

  To theavoid rightpossible timeeffects ofon year

• changeWCC, developers could redesign the methodsdevelopment ofproposal working

to  avoid carrying out work in or near the waterbody.

Where this is not possible, mitigation measures could include:include: 

• carrying out work in summer  
• changing the methods of working 
• reducing disturbance to the river bank and bed 
• reducing the amount of sediment released into the waterwater 
• reducing the area affectedaffected 
• doing work in small sectionssections 
• improving water quality 
• reducing water pollution including siltsilt 
• adding appropriate vegetationcobbles and large woody material as refuges 
• excluding crayfish from construction areas, but only when the water temperature is 4°C or higherareas 
• designing and installing structures that stop the spread of non-native crayfish

Compensation measures could include:include: 

• providing habitat to replace any that will be lostlost 
• as a last resort, moving WCC, butto onlysuitable locations within the catchment to reduce the chances of spreading diseasedisease 

For more information on mitigation plans and compensation measures, read the plannersProtected guidespecies forand protecteddevelopment: speciesadvice andfor developmentlocal planning authorities.

Planning and licence conditions

DevelopersThe mustdeveloper notmay moveneed to apply for a WCC withoutlicence aif wildlifetheir licence.activities Theyare mustlikely either:to affect WCC. 

• apply

  They must  apply for a WCC mitigation licence for development activities

.

They must also: 

• register for licence CL23 to move WCC for maintenance if activity is to be undertaken between 1 July and 30 SeptemberSeptember 
• consult Natural England by email at wildlife@naturalengland.org.uk if maintenance is required at other timestimes 

A mitigation plan is a condition of holding a WCC licence.licence. 

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

• makework surewith anythe mitigationrelevant orecologist compensationto conditionsmake yousure imposethese areconditions do not likely to conflict with the requirements of a wildlifeWCC licencelicence 
• be confident that Natural England will grant a wildlife licence – read section 4 of Protected species and development: advice for local planning authorities

You cando findnot moreneed informationto inconsult Natural England on the guidancewording or discharge (approval) of any conditions you impose on a development 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 development:capable adviceof forbeing localdischarged planningbefore authorities.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

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

You should consider the need for site monitoring and management..management. These measures are likely to be needed by protected species licences.

A site management and monitoring plan should make sure:

• WCC refuges remain in place
• water quality is good
• water flow is maintained
• populations remain healthy
• water bodies are kept free from non-native speciesspecies 
• there’s no interference to the habitat after developmentdevelopment 
• numbers of WCC remain stable or increase

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.