Water voles are Britain’s fastest declining mammal. They are fully protected under UK law and it is an offence to deliberately capture, injure or kill them or to damage, destroy or obstruct their breeding or resting places. It is essential to identify the presence of water voles at your site at the earliest opportunity, in order to avoid costly and timely delays further along the planning process.
It is often difficult to identify the presence of water voles through direct observation alone. We therefore determine the presence or absence of water voles by identifying characteristic field signs, including faeces, latrines, feeding stations, burrows, lawns, nests, footprints and runways through vegetation. Water vole surveys are seasonally constrained, with the optimal time being from April to September.
If a proposed development will affect water voles or their habitat, it is best to modify the scheme design so that water vole habitat can be maintained in situ, or steps taken to minimise damage to water vole habitat as far as practicable. If this is not possible and the habitats or animals will be affected, a conservation licence will be required from the statutory agency (Natural England or Natural Resources Wales). In cases where the loss of water vole habitat is unavoidable, mitigation may include the ‘exclusion’ of the animals from the development area, in addition to habitat creation and restoration.
Our ecologists have extensive experience in surveying and designing mitigation for water voles. We can advise you on survey methodology, legal protection, mitigation options and the timing of development works. We can undertake water vole surveys throughout Gloucestershire, including in Gloucester, Tewkesbury, Cirencester, Cheltenham, Stroud and Lydney, as well as the wider Cotswold area. We are also well places to cover the surrounding counties of Somerset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Monmouthshire.
For more information about Water Vole surveys, or any of the other ecological services that we offer, please call us on 02920 650331, or email enquiries@acerecology.co.uk.
More information on how to conduct water vole surveys can be found in our water vole article.
