- Enforced by
- OEP, DEFRA, Natural England, NRW
- Status
- Amended (in force with amendments)
- Penalty ceiling
- Imprisonment 4 of 67 obligations carry an unlimited fine. 8 carry different penalties and 55 have no criminal penalty — flagged in the list below.
Does it bind you?
Business-side roles with duties under this instrument.
Plus 47 duties on the regulator, Crown ministers and public bodies — folded into the section list below.
Other Acts binding the same actors
If a role above is yours, these are the other instruments that most often bind it.
Any Person — also bound by 2340 other Acts
Applicant — also bound by 307 other Acts
Operator — also bound by 746 other Acts
Director or Officer — also bound by 429 other Acts
What it requires
Regulations creating concrete business duties or carrying penalties, grouped as the instrument is structured. Titles link to the source text — blue means you’re leaving for legislation.gov.uk.
Assessment of plans and projects
0 of 4 sections shown4 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional
Schedules
4 of 100 shown- Protect European Protected Species of animalsAny Person
- Interpret species common names as guidance onlyAny Person
- Do not use prohibited methods to capture or kill protected animalsAny Person
- Protect and do not disturb European Protected Species of plantsAny Person
96 other schedules
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Authorities must ensure conservation and habitat complianceStatutory regulator
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Public authorities must maintain and restore wild bird habitatsStatutory regulator
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Natural conservation bodies must review and report on wild bird habitatsStatutory regulator
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Government must designate Special Areas of Conservation (SACs)Crown / Minister / Government department
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Government must set priorities for designating Special Areas of ConservationCrown / Minister / Government department
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Government must classify Special Protection Areas for wild birdsCrown / Minister / Government department
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Nature conservation bodies must notify owners of proposed protected areasStatutory regulator
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Government must maintain a public register of European protected sitesCrown / Minister / Government department
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Authorities must notify conservation bodies of habitat register changesCrown / Minister / Government department
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Natural England must notify landowners when a site is registeredStatutory regulator
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Natural England or NRW must offer fair payments for management agreementsStatutory regulator
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Natural England must assess projects affecting European protected sitesStatutory regulator
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Natural England or NRW must review existing consents for new European sitesStatutory regulator
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Conservation bodies must offer a management agreement if a grant is refusedStatutory regulator
- Carry out restricted operations on protected nature sitesAny Person
Unlimited fine
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Natural England must assess environmental impact after issuing a stop noticeStatutory regulator
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Conservation bodies must pay compensation for financial loss caused by stop noticesStatutory regulator
- Fail to comply with a land restoration orderAny Person
Unlimited fine
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Conservation bodies must ensure byelaws do not interfere with specific rightsStatutory regulator
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Claim compensation if new byelaws interfere with your land rightsStatutory regulator
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Secretary of State must include nature conservation in national policyCrown / Minister / Government department
- Harming or disturbing protected wild animals or their habitatsAny Person
- Use prohibited methods to capture or kill protected wild animalsAny Person
- Unlawfully harm, trade, or possess protected wild plantsAny Person
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Government and nature bodies must monitor protected habitats and speciesCrown / Minister / Government department
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Government must ensure sustainable exploitation of protected speciesCrown / Minister / Government department
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Natural England and NRW must monitor incidental killing of protected speciesStatutory regulator
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Government must research or implement conservation for protected speciesCrown / Minister / Government department
- Deliberately introducing non-native species from a shipAny Person
Unlimited fine
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Natural England and NRW must only grant wildlife licences under strict criteriaStatutory regulator
- Provide false information to obtain a wildlife or habitat licenceAny Person
- Provide information for European site impact assessmentsAny Person
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Competent authority may approve projects despite negative habitat impactLocal authority
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Competent authorities must review existing permissions when site status changesStatutory regulator
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Authorities must review permissions to protect animal and plant habitatsStatutory regulator
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Regulators must coordinate habitats assessments for shared projectsStatutory regulator
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Appropriate authority must secure compensatory measures for protected sitesCrown / Minister / Government department
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Local planning authority must review planning permissions for habitat impactLocal authority
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Authority must refer compensation disputes to the Upper TribunalCrown / Minister / Government department
- Obtain council approval before starting work under a general development orderOperator
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Natural conservation bodies must provide opinions on development impactsStatutory regulator
- Apply for planning approval if development affects protected nature sitesApplicant
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Competent authority must review development consents affecting European sitesStatutory regulator
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Regulator must notify you and hear views before changing pipe-line permitsStatutory regulator
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Secretary of State must assess and review transport projects affecting natureCrown / Minister / Government department
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Authorities must notify of intent to revoke or change project ordersCrown / Minister / Government department
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Regulators may impose conditions on environmental permits to protect sitesStatutory regulator
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Regulators may attach conditions to nitrate pollution derogationsStatutory regulator
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Local authorities must assess land use plans for impact on protected sitesLocal authority
- Provide information for habitat assessments of neighbourhood development plansAny Person
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Government must secure compensatory measures for protected habitatsCrown / Minister / Government department
- Obstruct an official during an environmental inspectionAny Person
Fine up to £1,000
- Refuse to provide samples or assist a police constableAny Person
Unlimited fine
- Obstruct or impersonate a wildlife inspectorAny Person
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Courts must order forfeiture of items involved in species offencesTribunal / Court
- Personal liability for company officers and partners for environmental breachesDirector or Officer
- Liability for Crown employees and public service workersAny Person
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Appropriate authority must encourage research on habitats and wild birdsCrown / Minister / Government department
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Local authorities must assume water plants will meet pollution standardsLocal authority
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Local planning authorities must assume nutrient standards will be metLocal authority
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Government must manage the national site network to protect habitats and birdlifeCrown / Minister / Government department
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Secretary of State must publish reports on habitat and bird conservationCrown / Minister / Government department
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Government must designate or notify status of protected European sitesCrown / Minister / Government department
91 other provisions
Help complying
Guvnor’s practical routes through this instrument.
Ecological compliance for development projects
Learn the full lifecycle of ecological obligations when developing land, from protected species surveys and wildlife licensing through to biodiversity net gain …
Development blocked by nutrient neutrality
Your site is in a nutrient-affected catchment and you cannot get planning permission. This guide explains your options for achieving neutrality and …
Protected species found on your development site
What to do when protected species are discovered on your development site, from immediate actions through licensing and managing project delays.
Small site planning fast track
Quick checklist for SME developers submitting minor residential applications (1-9 dwellings). Skip the explanation - get straight to what you need to …
Do I need a wildlife licence for my project?
Quick decision tree to determine if your development or land management activity requires a wildlife licence from Natural England.
Achieving nutrient neutrality
Step-by-step guide to achieving nutrient neutrality for development in affected catchments. Learn how to calculate your nutrient budget, identify mitigation options, and …
Check if nutrient neutrality affects your site
Find out if your development site is in a nutrient-affected catchment. Lists all 27 affected catchments across 74 local planning authorities and …
Commission protected species surveys for your site
How to commission ecological surveys for development sites that may support protected species. Covers when surveys are needed, types of survey for …
Get a wildlife licence for your development project
How to obtain wildlife licences from Natural England before development that affects protected species. Covers European Protected Species mitigation licences, bat surveys, …
Nutrient neutrality compliance for development
How to achieve nutrient neutrality for development in affected catchments. Covers mitigation options, Natural England's calculator, credit schemes, and the wastewater upgrade …
Understanding UK wildlife law for businesses
An overview of how UK wildlife protection law affects businesses, from construction and agriculture to events and tourism. Covers the main Acts, …
1 more guide that reference this instrument
Duty extraction and severity labels are Guvnor’s analysis of the instrument, not the instrument itself. Always verify against the linked source text.