Many species of plants and animals in England and often their supporting habitats are protected. What you can and cannot do by law varies from species to species.
It is essential that you have the necessary reports to inform and support your application if you are considering applying for development in the upcoming months, whether it be a loft conversion or the construction of multiple properties.
For further information, please get in contact with us today. We'll make sure your project is managed correctly from start to finish and that the right consultants are hired to minimise delays.
Where to expect protected species?
Habitat, building or land | Species to look for |
Ancient or veteran trees or those with significant decay features | Bats, breeding birds, dormice |
Cellars, ice houses, old mines and caves | Bats |
Buildings with features suitable for bats, or large gardens in suburban and rural areas | Bats, breeding birds, badgers, reptiles and great crested newts |
Traditional timber-framed building (such as a barn or oast house) | Bats, breeding birds including barn owls |
Lakes, rivers and streams (on the land or nearby) | Breeding birds, fish, otters, water voles and white-clawed crayfish |
Heathland on, nearby or linked to the site (by similar habitat) | Breeding birds, badgers, dormice, reptiles, invertebrates, natterjack toads and protected plants |
Meadows, grassland, parkland and pasture on the land or linked to the site (by similar habitat) | Bats, badgers, breeding birds, great crested newts, invertebrates, reptiles and protected plants |
Ponds or slow-flowing water bodies (like ditches) on the site, or within 500m and linked by semi-natural habitat such as parks or heaths | Breeding birds, fish, great crested newts, water voles, invertebrates and white-clawed crayfish |
Rough grassland and previously developed land (brownfield sites), on or next to the site | Breeding bird, reptiles, invertebrate and protected plants |
Woodland, scrub and hedgerows on, or next to the site | Bats, breeding birds, badgers, dormice, invertebrates, great crested newts, reptiles and protected plants |
Coastal habitats | Breeding birds, fish, natterjack toads, otters and invertebrates |
When to survey
Species | When to survey (dependent on weather conditions) |
Badgers | Any time of year. February to April or October to November for bait marking surveys to establish territories |
Bats (preliminary roost assessment) | Any time of year (trees are best surveyed without foliage) |
Bats (hibernation roosts) | November to mid-March |
Bats (summer roosts) | May to August |
Bats (foraging or commuting) | April to October for spring, summer and autumn behaviour |
Bats (swarming) | August to October |
Birds (breeding) | March to August (species dependent) |
Birds (winter behaviour) | October to March |
Birds (migration) | March to May, August to November (dependent on species) |
Dormice | April to November |
Great crested newts | Mid-March to mid-June (Mid-April to end of June for eDNA) |
Invertebrates | April to September |
Natterjack toads | April to May (aquatic survey) July to September (terrestrial survey) |
Otters | Any time of year |
Reptiles | April to mid-October |
Water voles | Mid-April to September |
White-clawed crayfish | July to September |