by westoncompliance | Sep 23, 2026 | Environment Agency, Flood Risk, Habitat, Onshore, UK, Water
The Environment Agency has amended the general conditions to align with the general conditions in Low risk abstraction for nature recovery actions and fish or eel passage: RPS 374; introduced a new requirement to notify the Environment Agency for 3 of the low risk...
by westoncompliance | Aug 25, 2026 | Environment, Habitat, HMSO, UK, Wildlife
These Regulations make consequential amendments to secondary legislation relating to the environment in Scotland as a result of the commencement of Part 2 of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024.Read more…Source: HMSO.
by westoncompliance | May 22, 2026 | Compensation, Defra, Environment, Habitat, Marine, Renewables, UK, Wind Energy
Defra has published new gudiance on understanding how to compensate for environmental harm caused by offshore wind projects.This guidance applies to offshore wind and associated projects that are expected to adversely affect certain protected marine sites. It comes in...
by westoncompliance | May 15, 2026 | Habitat, HMSO, Marine, UK, Wind Energy
The Conservation of Habitats and Species (Offshore Wind) (Amendment etc.) Regulations 2026 update UK habitats legislation to make it easier to progress offshore wind developments while still protecting marine habitats and species. The regulations introduce a new...
by westoncompliance | May 15, 2026 | DESNZ, Habitat, Noise, OPRED, UK
DESNZ and OPRED have published the second SAC Underwater Noise Regulators Working Group Progress Report on the ‘Oil and gas: offshore environmental legislation’ gov.uk page, under Offshore Petroleum Activities (Conservation of Habitats) Regulations...
by westoncompliance | Apr 16, 2026 | Biodiversity, Consultation, Defra, Habitat, Onshore, Planning, UK, Wildlife
Defra has published the outcome of a consultation it ran on the implementation of biodiversity net gain (BNG) for nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs).BNG creates and improves natural habitats. BNG ensures development has a measurably...
by westoncompliance | Jan 29, 2026 | Crown Estate, Environment, Habitat, Licensing, UK
The Crown Estate offers a Small Habitat Activity Licence (SHAL) as a simplified way to permit short-term, non-commercial habitat enhancement, survey, and monitoring activities on the foreshore and seabed it owns, typically for projects lasting up to five years. The...
by westoncompliance | Jan 23, 2026 | Environment, Habitat, Natural England, Onshore, UK, Wildlife
Natural England has updated the guidance regarding licenses to control wild birds for air safety, conservation, public health and safety by updating the wording to make it clear that Natural England, rather than Defra, are now responsible for general licences for...
by westoncompliance | Oct 31, 2024 | Ballast, Environment, Habitat, International, UK, Vessels, Water
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has published an International Treaty on the control and management of ships’ ballast water and sediments, which was presented before Parliament in October 2024.Read more…Source: Foreign, Commonwealth &...
by westoncompliance | Aug 21, 2024 | Carbon Capture and Storage, Conservation, Explosives, Habitat, Marine Mammals, MMO, Noise, Offshore Installation, OPRED, Surveying
The Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED), in conjunction with the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) request that oil and gas, CCS or gas storage operators who are or may be planning to undertake any impulsive noise activities...
by westoncompliance | Apr 30, 2024 | Carbon Capture and Storage, CO2, Environment, Habitat, Licensing, Net Zero, NSTA, OPRED, Permits and Licences, Regulatory Process, UK
The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) has opened a competitive process inviting applications for Carbon Dioxide Appraisal and Storage Licences in an area in the English Channel. These licences grant exclusive rights for the exploration and appraisal of potential...
by westoncompliance | Apr 19, 2024 | Environment, Habitat, Marine, Noise, OPRED, UK, Wildlife
The Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED) has published this note intended to update industry on the UK Marine Noise Registry and close-out report requirements for applications relating to geological survey consents, marine licences...
by westoncompliance | Mar 19, 2024 | Brexit, Consultation, Environment, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Habitat, Scottish Government, UK
The Scottish Government is seeking views on proposed enabling powers to better allow for future amendments to Scotland’s environmental impact assessment (EIA) regimes and habitats regulations. These key legislative frameworks underpin environmental protection and...
by westoncompliance | Mar 5, 2024 | Conservation, Defra, Environment, Habitat, Natural England, Onshore, UK
If Natural England serves you with a management notice for works on a site of special scientific interest (SSSI), the address for appeals has changed to: Protected Sites TeamDefraFirst FloorSeacole Block2 Marsham StreetLondonSW1 4DF Read more… Source: Department...
by westoncompliance | Feb 16, 2024 | Conservation, Environment, Habitat, Marine, MMO, Planning, Policy, Surveying, UK
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has published a summary of marine plan monitoring surveys that were carried out between the 5th January and the 7th March 2022 for the North East, North West, East, South, South East and South West Marine Plans. It has...
by westoncompliance | Feb 13, 2024 | Conservation, Crown Estate, Development, Environment, Habitat, Offshore wind, Renewables, UK
The Crown Estate has published the Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) which covers the three Project Development Areas (PDAs) that are being made available through the Round 5 leasing process. These will see commercial-scale floating wind farms established in the...
by westoncompliance | Feb 12, 2024 | Biodiversity, Conservation, Consultation, Defra, Environment, Habitat, Marine, Net Zero, UK
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is seeking feedback on policies to update guidance on Marine Protected Area (MPA) assessments. In July 2021, Defra consulted on best practice guidance for developing compensatory measures concerning...
by westoncompliance | Dec 12, 2023 | Conservation, Consultation, Defra, Habitat, Marine, Policy, UK
The government has published their response to this consultation, which ran from 9:30am on 7 June 2022 to 11:45pm on 13 September 2022. The consultation sets out Defra’s proposals and sought views on the principles of marine net gain. This was to inform the...
by westoncompliance | Dec 8, 2023 | Conservation, Construction, Defra, Development, Environment, Environment Agency, Habitat, Natural England, Onshore, UK, Wildlife
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Environment Agency (EA) along with Natural England, Welsh Government, and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) have published an update to the Impact Risk Zones for SSSIs to several of...
by westoncompliance | Nov 16, 2023 | Conservation, Consultation, Environment, Habitat, OPRED, Regulatory Process, UK
As part of its regulatory requirements in respect to the Offshore Petroleum Activities (Conservation of Habitats) Regulations 2001 (as amended), OPRED is required to undertake a periodic post implementation review of the Regulations. As part of this review, we are...
