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Rewilding in England & Wales: Legal Guidance Notes
Our rewilding legal guidance notes for England & Wales cover the following broad topics:
- Developing and managing rewilding projects;
- Legal responsibilities and liabilities:
- Animal reintroductions;
- Legal mechanisms to protect land; and
- Tax and Subsidies.
Within these topics, there are often several notes. The content of each note is summarised below and you can either view them online or download them.
![](/uploads/banner-scotlandbigpicture-com_hu243c9d65f0fa5bca7dac4b5dbe8d1bce_528063_1092x0_resize_q75_h2_box.webp)
scotlandbigpicture.com
Developing and Managing Rewilding Projects
Developing and Managing Rewilding Projects
![Planning Permission and Environmental Impact Assessments](/uploads/coniferous-forest-1_hu91fae0f59c6ef79d4be35d9f7f9980ac_5261986_539x0_resize_q75_h2_box.webp)
Planning Permission and Environmental Impact Assessments
This note covers rewilding and:
- Planning permission and when it is required
- Special considerations applicable to non-developed land
- Material changes of use
- Environmental Impact Assessments (including for forestry)
![Protected Areas](/uploads/protected-areas-mark-hamblin-scotlandbigpicture-com_hu3e9e41936877ad22ebb2dc1b306653a7_473222_539x0_resize_q75_h2_box.webp)
Mark Hamblin / scotlandbigpicture.com
Protected Areas
This note covers rewilding and:
- Key designated areas for the protection of nature and limitations on managing these areas
- Proposed legislative reform to designated areas of protection
![Invasive and Protected Plant Species](/uploads/protected-plants-mark-hamblin-scotlandbigpicture-com_hu875d1d034d8dd88c9c2f03ccd5ced685_551929_539x0_resize_q75_h2_box.webp)
Mark Hamblin / scotlandbigpicture.com
Invasive and Protected Plant Species
This note covers rewilding and:
- Obligations to control the spread onto agricultural land of native plants that can be toxic to livestock or interfere with the growing of crops (including ragwort)
- Offences relating to growing certain non-native of species in the wild
- Protected species of plant and the implications for rewilders
Legal Responsibilities and Liabilities
![Public Access](/uploads/public-access-oliver-lupton-copy_hu4e19cebfe9717232758342999472f161_12617985_539x0_resize_q75_h2_box.webp)
Oliver Lupton
Public Access
This note covers rewilding and:
- Different forms of public access to rewilding land
- Rewilder responsibilities and obligations
![Liability for Damage Caused by Animals](/uploads/animal-liability-piermario-eva_hu1c5f8942ee2d292d48d7c800c0347fe1_995288_539x0_resize_q75_h2_box.webp)
Piermario Eva
Liability for Damage Caused by Animals
This note covers rewilding and:
- Liability for damage caused by animals under common law and statute
- Defences available to rewilders responsible for animals
![Liability to Neighbouring Landholders](/uploads/img-5920_hu541c481652d08945db98702c701ee6db_1862345_539x0_resize_q75_h2_box.webp)
Liability to Neighbouring Landholders
This note covers rewilding and:
- Potential liability to neighbouring landholders where rewilding activities damage or otherwise disturb their enjoyment of their land
![Liability to Individuals on Land](/uploads/liability-individuals-elsie-blackshaw_hu3ca4c0efa2df74bdd1fba0c5e4f4ee88_986275_539x0_resize_q75_h2_box.webp)
Liability to Individuals on Land
This note covers rewilding and:
- Civil and criminal liabilities relating to individuals entering land
- Discharging liability and defences for rewilders
Animal Reintroductions
![Reintroduction of Animals](/uploads/reintroductions-james-roddie-scotlandbigpicture-com_huf8101e101924829fcb3e19680e0e2267_547481_539x0_resize_q75_h2_box.webp)
James Roddie / scotlandbigpicture.com
Reintroduction of Animals
This note covers rewilding and:
- Licences and statutory requirements relating to the reintroduction of animals
- Animal welfare obligations before and after reintroduction
Protecting Wild Land
![Conservation Covenants and Legal Protection of Wild Land](/uploads/conservation-covenants-nick-fewings_hu3d03a01dcc18bc5be0e67db3d8d209a6_2160697_539x0_resize_q75_h2_box.webp)
Nick Fewings
Conservation Covenants and Legal Protection of Wild Land
This note covers rewilding and:
- Conservation covenants: their use for rewilding and how they work
- Private law protection of rewilding land
Tax and Subsidies
![Tax](/uploads/tax-mark-hamblin-scotlandbigpicture-com_hu0be7d47b569259cc1d20c93772848363_383075_539x0_resize_q75_h2_box.webp)
Mark Hamblin / scotlandbigpicture.com
Tax
This note covers rewilding and:
- Its impact on various tax regimes
![Subsidies under CAP](/uploads/rs3728-sza-20140611-042932-3_hu93e1c327b12841f62d37979b0ad27241_6733279_539x0_resize_q75_h2_box.webp)
Solvin Zankl / Rewilding Europe
Subsidies under CAP
This note covers rewilding and:
- Basic Payment Scheme and phase-out
- English Countryside Stewardship Scheme
- Rural Development Programmes in Wales
![Subsidies after CAP](/uploads/rs12558-storks-2_hua06bb55ca5dc1fb343669e62c69e7f15_10855343_539x0_resize_q75_h2_box.webp)
Ricardo Ferreira / Rewilding Europe
Subsidies after CAP
This note covers rewilding and:
- Environmental Land Management schemes (“ELMs”) in England
- Sustainable Farming Scheme (“SFS”) in Wales
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