Protected Species

This page contains some basic information about Protected Species and European Protected Species occuring in Shropshire and also provides links to resources related to European Protected Species and planning, development and mitigation.

Please use the documents linked to this page as an initial guide, if you have any questions about Protected Species please contact Shropshire Council's Ecologist Sue Swales on 01743 252562 or email  Natural.environment@shropshire.gov.uk

Dormice

 


 

  European Protected Species

Listed below are the European Protected Species which may occur in Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin.

Animals

Bats, Horseshoe (all species)

Bats, Typical (all speices)

Common Otter

Dormouse

Great Crested Newt

Plants

Floating-leaved Water Plantain

Killarney Fern

This is not a full version of the European Protected Species list, inlcuded above are only those species which occur in Shropshire. 

Please click here for the Full Eureopean Protected Species List

 

 

Legal protection of European Protected Species

It is an offence, with certain exceptions, to:

1. deliberately capture or kill any wild animal of a European Protected Species

2. deliberately disturb any such animal

3. deliberately take or destroy eggs of any such wild animal

4. damage or destroy a breeding site or resting place of any such wild animal

5. deliberately pick, collect, cut, uproot or destroy a wild plant of a European Protected Species

6. keep, transport, sell, or exchange, or offer for sale or exchange, any dead or alive animal or plant of a European Protected Species, or any part of, or anything derived from such a wild animal or plant.

 

European Protected Species Licensing

Leaving European Protected Species surveys until the last minute can cost developers time and money. Defra advise to check as early as possible whether a European Protected Species is present on potential sites for development.

For most Eurpean Protected Species there is a restircted survey season and where licences are necessary there may be up to a six week delay while the application is processed.

Natural England are the European Protected Species licensing body and further information on protected species licensing can be found here on their website.


 

UK Protected Species

 There are a number of species which are known as 'Protected Species' or 'UK Protected Species'. This list inlcudes all the European Protected Species listed above and also a large number of species which are specially protected under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981.

Badgers and their setts are protected seperately under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992.

Below is a list of some of the UK Protected Species which you might come accross in Shropshire.

Birds Kingfisher, Red Kite, Barn Owl, Peregrine, Redwing, Feildfare, Treecreeper

Reptiles & Amphibians Adder, Common Frog, Smooth Newt, Palmate Newt, Common Toad, Slow Worm

Mammals Water Vole

River Species White Clawed Crayfish, Allis Shad, Freshwater Pearl Mussel, Twaite Shad

Invertebrates Silver Studded Blue Butterfly, Pearl Bordered Fritillary

Plants Bluebell, Marsh Flapwort

This is not an exhaustive list.

The Full list of species protected under The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 can be found on the JNCC website along with the full text of the act


 

Protected Species Resources

Below are some links to guidance documents and useful websites relating to a range of UK Protected Species and European Protected Speices issues. 

Please use these resources as an initial guide but if you have further questions please contact Sue Swales, Ecologist at Shropshire Council on 01743 252567 or at Natural.environment@shropshire.gov.uk

 


 

 
 
 
 
 
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