At Natural England we help balance economic growth with nature protection. Wildlife licensing is a vital tool to enable this. Our licences are broad ranging and allow development and other activities to proceed, while safeguarding protected species and their habitats. Every year Natural England has a duty to publish licensing data. This blog explores some of the key facts and figures from 2025 and what’s changed in the last 12 months.
By Mike Smith, Deputy Director, Wildlife Licensing and Reform
What do bats, badgers and beavers all have in common? They are just some of the many species protected by wildlife law.
Natural England makes wildlife protection work in practice – delivering nature recovery while facilitating essential development and enabling public interest activities.
Wildlife licensing exists to regulate activities that would otherwise be unlawful - such as disturbing protected species or, in some cases, controlling wild birds. These activities are only permitted when the legal tests are met, when there is clear justification, and when impacts on wildlife are minimised.
Natural England publishes licensing data each year as part of its responsibility to act transparently and to show how decisions support public safety, development needs and nature conservation. This year’s publication continues that commitment.
What’s changed since last year?
- Licensing activity rose by 7%, with 478 more licences issued than in 2024.
- Strategic licences (including class licences) saw the largest increase (+236), reflecting continued growth.
- Species Management licences increased by 230, driven by public health, air‑safety and damage‑prevention needs.
- Science & Conservation licences fell by 57 (−12%) as research programmes concluded.
- EPS and Strategic licensing (including class licences) remained dominated by Imperative Reasons for Over-riding Public Interest (IROPI), including 82% of EPS bat licences, 94% across all EPS species, and 87% of bat class licences.
- In lethal bird control, purposes were stable: 34% for public health and safety and 27% for preventing serious damage.
Why this matters for nature recovery
Transparency in licensing helps the public understand how decisions are made and how they contribute to wider environmental responsibilities. Natural England’s 2024 licensing blog emphasised the dual purpose of licensing: enabling development, infrastructure and public safety while safeguarding wildlife and supporting nature recovery.
The 2025 data continue to reflect that balance - high volumes of licences issued for essential public‑interest purposes, underpinned by legal tests designed to protect species populations.
Natural England’s Strategy - Recovering Nature for Growth, Health and Security - makes clear that effective, outcome‑focused regulation is vital for nature recovery. Regulation is central to securing resilience and reducing environmental risks and a key lever for turning government commitments into action.
Looking ahead: improving the licensing system
Natural England is modernising its licensing service to make it clearer, faster and more efficient, while supporting better outcomes for nature. Improvements reported in 2024 - such as streamlining processes, earned recognition, enhancing early advice services, and expanding strategic licences - are informing the next phase of reform.
These reforms aim to ensure licensing remains a robust regulatory tool that supports national priorities, including nature recovery, environmental resilience and sustainable development.
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