You may need permission to do work on or near a river, flood defence or sea defence.
These rules apply to England only. There are different rules for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
There are different ways of getting permission, depending on whether you’re working on:
a sea defence or main river (including its flood plains and flood defences) - check which are main rivers
other watercourses
You can be prosecuted and may be fined or go to prison if you do not get permission when you need it.