Wildlife Licence Charges Update

Between 6 Feb and 18 March 2024, Natural England consulted on a proposal to change the fees levied under the Wildlife Licence Charges (England) order 2018.

We asked your views on proposed updates to survey and mitigation licence charges. We also asked for your views on priorities for improving the licensing service.

The changes are required because of HM Treasury principles that mean Natural England must ensure full cost recovery. We also need to introduce charges for new licensing routes, and fund improvements to the licensing service.

Most consultees did not support the proposed charges for bat mitigation licence fees.

However, most of you did support the proposed charges for survey licences fees, and mitigation licence fees for species other than bat.

On improving the licensing service, you said that improving species protection was the most important issue. Second and third most important were improving certainty around when a licence will be issued, and speed of licence issue.

In response, we have reduced the proposed fees for some bat mitigation licences. For other licences, we propose to keep the fees as listed in the consultation.

We have published a consultation response. This has an analysis of the results, addresses your comments, and outlines our next steps. Our first action will be to seek ministerial approval for the proposed charges. If approved by a minister, we will work with Defra to get parliamentary approval for a new Statutory Instrument.