GovWire

You need a mitigation licence if your work will affect water voles. This includes if you may need to:

• disturb them while they are in a place they use for shelter or protection

• damage or destroy places they use for shelter or protection
• stop water voles accessing places they use for shelter or protection
• kill or injure them
• take, move, possess or control them

You can only apply for this licence if you need to carry out these actions for a specific purpose. You must choose the purpose that is most appropriate to your work. Your work must either:

• be for reasons of overriding public interest, including development
• preserve public health or safety
• prevent serious damage to livestock, animal feed, crops, growing timber, fisheries or any other property
• prevent the spread of disease

To study and conserve water vole, you will need a different licence. Use the 