Water voles: licence to displace them (CL31)

You must have a licence to displace water voles.

This licence allows you, as the registered person, to intentionally displace water voles by damaging or destroying their burrows. This includes:

• removing vegetation back to bare earth in spring and autumn
• carrying out a destructive search of water vole burrows after an appropriate monitoring period, after removing vegetation

Intentionally disturbing water voles by displacement is a method of reducing harm to them where work is to take place. Read the licence document on this page for more details.

You can only use this licence for projects that:

• preserve public health or safety
• prevent serious damage
• are for reasons of overriding public interest

If you cannot follow the terms and conditions of this licence, you should apply for an individual mitigation licence or a strategic licence.

Register to use this licence

You must register with Natural England before you can use this licence.

Register for a licence to displace water voles

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 £104.

It costs £35 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 taken under this licence

You must reportuse anythe actionswater youvole tookdisplacement whilelicence usingreturn thisform licence.to Usereport theany onlineactions reporting,taken monitoringunder andthis licence renewal form for CL31 licences.licence.

You must submit your report by 31 January each year, even if you’ve taken no action.

You will be asked for:

• your licence details
• details of the type of searches and actions taken at each site, if applicable
• digital photographs of the displacement sites, if available
• habitats and vegetation at the site, and banks affected
• presence of water voles, mink and other predators
• digital photographs of the displacement sites, if available
• details of any welfare concerns, such as water voles that were injured or killed
• information about any accredited agents who worked under your licence

There is a monitoring element to the online form. This information allows Natural England to assess the effectiveness of displacement as a new licensed activity.

Submit a water vole displacement licence return

RenewUsing your licence for another year

ItBy costsreporting £35your aactions yearin the licence return, you can choose to renewcontinue yourto licence.

Completeuse the onlinelicence reporting,for monitoringthe andfollowing licencereporting renewalperiod. formYou will need to pay £35 to continue your registration for CL31another licences.year.