Water vole and otter mitigation
Where water voles or otters are present on site and their habitats are likely to be affected by the development, appropriate measures will need to be put in place to allow the development to progress. The developer may also need to obtain a licence from the relevant statutory body.
We can work with you to design and implement appropriate mitigation for water voles or otters that is commensurate with the scale of the effects of your development. If necessary, this can include applying for a licence on your behalf.
Where signs of water voles or otters are recorded early in the development process and there is potential for them to be affected by your development, we can provide suitable avoidance measures to ensure that they are not harmed or disturbed and that their habitats are not damaged or destroyed. If this is not possible, it may be necessary to apply for an appropriate licence from the relevant statutory body (e.g. Natural England) to enable the development to progress. Once the licence is granted, the development can progress providing the measures detailed within the method statement are followed. For water voles this could include displacing them by removing their habitat under ecological supervision, whereas for otters, this could include slight alterations to site practices (e.g. not working at night time).
Note that in most instances the regulators will require water vole or otter surveys to have been undertaken before they will approve or licence the mitigation strategy. See our water vole and otter survey page for more information.
Babec Ecological Consultants are based in Sussex and Hertfordshire, and provide water vole and otter mitigation across West Sussex, East Sussex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Hampshire, Surrey, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridge, Essex, London and throughout England and Wales. We are happy to give free initial advice and provide an excellent service at competitive rates. Click here to get in touch.