Licensing
To some people, the need for a licence to allow them to do certain things perhaps even their hobby, can appear to be an unnecessary bureaucratic requirement
However it should be remembered that the legislation is there to protect rare and vunerable species and that a licence allows you to do something that is otherwise illegal. It is therefore in your own interests and that of our protected species that you ensure you have the required authority before embarking on any project involving our natural heritage.
So what is a protected species? Well there are three pieces of legislation that list the names of species that are protected and some that are protected by "special penalties" . The names of the species protected are listed in the;
- Schedules 1-8 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981
- Schedules 2,3&4 of The Conservation (Natural Habitats, &.) Regulations 1994
- The Protection of Badgers Act 1992 only offers protection for the badger and it’s sett.
The documents are available at the HMSO website