About Water Voles

The water vole is an aquatic mammal that lives around the margins of rivers, streams, canals, ponds and lakes. Water vole and its habitat are fully protected in the UK and are therefore a material consideration during site development requiring planning permission, or during wetland management and maintenance.

Water vole surveys are essential where the species or its habitat might be disturbed during development or site maintenance. Water vole surveys should be undertaken during the optimum period between late April – early October.

Our Water Vole Services

Pennine Ecological are highly experienced water vole surveyors. We have undertaken many miles of water vole survey along the banks/margins of numerous watercourses and waterbodies across the UK. This includes approaching 800km of river surveys for the Environment Agency in the Thames, Severn Trent, Hertfordshire and North London, East Anglia, West Midlands, East Midlands, Lancashire and most regions of northern England.

Examples of  our work with Water Voles

Environment Agency

Over 800 km of watercourse survey throughout England.

Chorley Borough Council

Extensive surveys of Carr Brook in relation to a major flood basin retention scheme.

Smith-Gore

Southport Old Links – A water vole survey and management strategy for drainage ditches on the West Lancashire Mosslands, where water voles were found to be occupying a ditch system in excess of 6.5km. 

United Utilities Plc

Water vole surveys have been undertaken on a range of sites throughout Lancashire and Greater Manchester as part of site infrastructure maintenance.

Highways Agency

A5 / M6 toll road improvement scheme, Leicestershire.

Highways Agency

A1M upgrade, River Nidd and tributaries North Yorkshire.

National Grid

Gas Pipelines in Cumbria, Humberside, Lancashire, and Cheshire.

Quick Contact

If you would like to discuss how Pennine Ecological can help you, please get in touch with us.