Watercourses within and immediately adjacent to proposed development sites should be assessed for their potential to support water voles. A habitat suitability assessment is made, recording and mapping key features such as bank material, amount and type of marginal vegetation, amount of shading from trees, waterbody depth and width, flow velocity, channel substrate and presence of pollution and disturbance. Water vole surveys for habitat suitability can be undertaken at any time in the year. Field sign and activity surveys can be undertaken from March-October with two survey visits undertaken – one in the early season (mid-April to June) and one in the late season (July to September). If water vole are identified within watercourses, a mitigation strategy and Natural England licence may be required.