Water voles: licence to displace them for development projects (CL31)
Register for a licence to intentionally damage or destroy water vole burrows or displace water voles for development projects and report your actions.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
You must have a licence to displace water voles for development.
This licence allows you to intentionally damage or destroy water vole burrows or displace water voles for development projects. This includes:
- cutting vegetation back to bare earth in the spring
- carrying out a destructive search of water vole burrows to displace them from their burrows after removing vegetation
- destroying water vole burrows after a destructive search
Intentionally disturbing water voles by displacement is a method of reducing harm to them where development is to take place. Read the licenceguidance document on this page for more details.
You can only use this licence for a development if your actions will result in a conservation benefit for water voles.
You should apply for an individual licence if you cannot follow the terms and conditions of this licence.
Register to use this licence
You must register with Natural England before you can use this licence.
You can only use this licence if you’re an:
- ecological consultant registered to use it - the ‘registered person’
- accredited agent of the registered person
- assistant working under the direct supervision of the registered person or accredited agent
Pay for your licence
You need to pay for a CL31 licence.
New registrations cost £60.
It costs £50 a year to renew your licence registration.
Read the terms and conditions for paying for a wildlife licence.
How to pay
You can pay using a bank card. Follow the GOV.UK Pay link on the application form.
Report your actions
You must report any actions you took while using this licence.licence Useon the onlinerecords reporting, monitoring and licencereporting renewaltemplate form for CL31 licences.licences (form LR31).
You must submit your report by 31 January each year, even if you’ve taken no action.
ThereSend isyour acompleted monitoringform element to Natural England using the onlinedetails on the form.
You must also complete the monitoring form for CL31 licences for any action you’ve taken and submit it with form LR31. This information allows Natural England to assess the effectiveness of displacement as a new licensed activity.
Renew your licence
It costs £50 a year to renew your licence.
CompleteThe theway onlineyou reporting,renew monitoringyour andlicence is changing. Guidance on how to renew your licence renewalwill formbe foravailable CL31on licences.this page by 1 December 2022, before the next renewal date.
Last updated 15
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Added an online form titled 'Report and monitor your actions and renew your CL31 water vole class licence'. This replaces reporting form LR31 and monitoring form MON-CL31.
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Removed charge form as the way to renew a licence to displace water voles for development will change before the next renewal date.
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Updated guidance on how to register for a licence to displace water voles for development projects.
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Annual licence update, valid from 1 January 2022.
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Condition 12 added to class licence CL31.
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Annual licence update.
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From 7 December 2020 you will need to pay for a CL31 licence. Added charge form and updated CL31 licence application form.
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Accessible licence added - HTML.
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Replaced licence with amended version issued 21 February 2020.
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Replaced licence with new version issued 1 January 2020
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Replaced licence with new version issued 1 January 2019. Replaced registration and report forms with updated versions.
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Replaced licence with new version issued 1 January 2018. New monitoring form added.
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Annual licence update 2017.
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First published.
Update history
2025-03-05 11:48
Changed the scientific name of water voles to Arvicola terrestris for the purpose of this licence. We have added a new information and advice note (note f).
2025-03-03 10:00
Added a link to the updated ‘Register for a licence to displace water voles’ form.
2025-02-10 16:03
We are currently making improvements to our licensing forms.The register for a licence form on this page will change to a new format in early March 2025.Once this happens, the current version of the form will no longer be available.
2025-01-01 00:01
Updated this licence to cover the period 1 January to 31 December 2025. Reworded several sections to make the information clearer, including the sections on ‘Registering to use this licence’ and ‘Recording and reporting requirements’. Amended licence conditions (conditions 10, 12, 14 and 22) and information and advice notes (note f and note g). Added additional licence conditions (conditions 5, 9, 11, and 24); these have been renumbered following the addition of the new conditions. Licence note ‘c’ has become note ‘a’.
2024-01-01 00:01
There is an update to this licence for 1 January 2024.
2023-01-01 00:15
Licence updated to cover new purposes and to permit autumn displacement of water voles. Annual updates valid from 1 January 2023.
2022-12-15 15:14
Added an online form titled ‘Report and monitor your actions and renew your CL31 water vole class licence’. This replaces reporting form LR31 and monitoring form MON-CL31.
2022-08-24 16:47
Removed charge form as the way to renew a licence to displace water voles for development will change before the next renewal date.
2022-08-22 14:24
Updated guidance on how to register for a licence to displace water voles for development projects.