Water Vole Surveys

​​Water voles are protected under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) (as amended) against killing and injury as well as damage, or the blocking of access, to their places of protection. If survey or a record search indicates that you may have water voles on land that you wish to develop, the Local Authority may require a water vole survey.

Water vole surveys are carried out between mid-April and September during the breeding season when the species are most active. May and June are the optimal periods for survey which are weather dependent and two survey visits should be undertaken, the first between mid-April and June, and the second between July and September.