Nobody who had to deal with the joys of great crested newts and development could say the old system was perfect, but coming from a generation when Natural England was concerned with wildlife conservation the way this change is being spun – ‘great for wildlife – great for business’ instantly leads to scepticism. Time will tell.

New licensing policies: great for wildlife – great for business

From:   Natural England     First published:   12 December 2016

Part of:   Business and the environment

‘Ground-breaking licensing policies will free up money for long-lasting nature conservation.

Natural England is revolutionising the way it issues licences to provide significant benefits for both wildlife and licence applicants. Four innovative new policies have been created that will smooth the process for businesses who require a wildlife licence for their project, saving them time and money. In return, they will fund an unprecedented level of investment in the creation and enhancement of wildlife habitat. This will provide greater security for populations of protected species such as water voles, dormice, bats and great crested newts.’ Click here to read more.