Guidance

References and experience needed to support your protected species application or registration

Updated 10 October 2023

Applies to England

This guide tells you what experience you need and what references you need to give when you apply or register for:

• mitigation licences
• photography, science, conservation or research licences
• survey class licences

To apply for the licence, you should use the appropriate form for the licence you require.

Skills and experience

You must show you have the skills and experience to carry out licensed activities that may affect a protected species. You must show you have:

• knowledge of the ecology and habitat needs of the affected species
• practical experience of survey, capture and handling techniques within the last 3 years
• a working knowledge of third-party best practice and relevant wildlife law

European protected species (EPS) mitigation licence requirements

If you’re applying for an EPS mitigation licence you must also be able to show you can:

• assess the impact of your activity on site and in the surrounding local area
• plan effective mitigation and compensation measures

Eligible evidence of your skills and experience

Previous Natural England licences

You can provide evidence that you’ve held a similar licence within the last 3 years.

Written evidence

If you’re a new applicant with no previous licences, you should provide written evidence that you have the skills and experience. Find out more in the ‘Written references’ section of this guide.

Training courses

You can provide a completion certificate from an organisation for a  course taken in the last 3 years. Relevant organisations include species or taxon-specific organisations.

Course certificates must include:

• name of the person attending the course
• course title and content
• date, which must be within the last 3 years
• signature and name of the trainer

If you submit a training certificate in place of a reference for a survey application, the course must have both:

• training of species identification
• practical training of the techniques the licence covers

Other licences

You can use licences issued by another authority as part of your experience, such as:

• Natural Resources Wales (formerly Countryside Council for Wales)
• Nature Scot (formerly Scottish Natural Heritage)

Written references

You need 2 written references to verify your skills and experience if:

• you have not held a licence for the species, or similar species, in the last 3 years
• you are an ecologist who has not held a licence similar to the one you’re applying for
• you hold a licence and want to add new activities

You need one written reference if:

• you hold a licence from another authority
• you’re applying for a survey licence and you can show a certificate from a training course

Upgrading a survey class licence

To upgrade a survey class licence, you must already hold the lower level licence. You must submit an extra written reference that is relevant for the licence activity you’re applying for.

The rules are different if you upgrade from a level 1 bat survey class licence (CL17) to a level 2 bat survey class licence (CL18).

To upgrade from CL17 to CL18, you must submit 2 items from the following:

• one written reference from an independent individual (see ‘Who can be a referee’)
• one certificate to show you’ve successfully completed a relevant training course
• a log book to show relevant experience with bat species using the methods on the licence

The log book must contain:

• the use of the methods applied for
• the names and licence numbers of the witnesses
• witness signatures confirming they witnessed the event

Who can be a referee

Referees for all licences should be wildlife professionals (includes approved volunteer trainers of volunteer bat roost visitors, where appropriate).

Referees should have both of the following:

• direct knowledge of your work on the species named in your application
• a similar licence they have held within the last 3 years

They should not be:

• a partner or relative
• a trainer from a course you’ve taken instead of a reference

Additional criteria for referees

If you are only providing one reference to support your application, the referee can be employed by the same organisation as you.

If you’re providing 2 references with your licence application, both references should be independent of each other. This means that both referees should:

• not be employed by the same organisation as you, unless they can each show that the reference relates to projects only one of them worked on with you, or work from outside the organisation
• be able to show that their judgement was reached independently from the other referee or piece of evidence supporting your application

What your reference should include

Your referees need to complete the reference template AR01 and you will need to submit it with your application.

Your referees should be able to provide their:

• licence reference number for the same or a similar licence that they have held within the last 3 years
• judgement that you (the applicant) are able to do the activities listed under the relevant licence safely and competently

For bat survey class licence applications, across the evidence you (the applicant) should be able to show that you have worked with a range of different bat species.

Exceptions

If you or your referees cannot meet the evidence criteria, you should explain this on your application form and give the best evidence possible. Natural England may contact you or your referees to verify your evidence or ask for more information.

Natural England can make exceptions to the usual criteria in some circumstances.

Where there are few licences for a species

For some species Natural England issues very few licences, which means you may not be able to meet the evidence criteria and required number of references. In these cases Natural England can make exceptions to replace one referee with:

• evidence of your experience, for example you’ve completed relevant species training
• a qualifying referee who is not a licence holder

This most often affects applications for science, conservation and research licences.

Career break

You may not be able to provide relevant evidence from the last 3 years if you or your referees have had a career break. Natural England may make an exception and accept earlier experience, such as:

• completed training on the relevant or similar species
• licences held for the species within the last 5 years
• evidence of working with the relevant species or similar species within the last 5 years

Discretion to reject an application

Natural England can reject a licence application if your supporting evidence or application is of a poor standard.

Contact Natural England

For further information on:

• photography, science, conservation, survey and research licences, email wildlife.scicons@naturalengland.org.uk
• EPS mitigation licences, email eps.mitigation@naturalengland.org.uk