Protected Species: Water Voles

The water vole receives partial legal protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) (as amended); their burrows are protected but the water voles themselves are not.  Water voles are found throughout the UK and are associated with wetland habitats including rivers and waterways, ditches, ponds, lakes and reedbeds.  Where water voles may be affected, the statutory authorities require surveys to be undertaken and, if necessary, a Mitigation Scheme to be submitted before development can be permitted.  Water voles are frequently encountered on development projects and our practice has substantial experience in devising and implementing mitigation programmes for these species.  We can provide the following services in-house:

• Water vole survey.
• Preparation of reports to support planning applications.
• Design and implementation of mitigation schemes, including exclusion of water voles, trapping and reintroductions, habitat creation and enhancement and monitoring.

Links:

Mitigation Schemes

Protected Species

Survey Seasons Chart

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