Nature Permitting Coordination Launch

Enabling faster, smarter nature recovery

Nature Permitting Coordination (NPC) is a new Environment Agency service for projects that need multiple permits or licences. It provides coordinated support, early engagement, and clear decision timelines to help projects progress efficiently. All work is provided on a full cost-recovery basis.

This page explains how nature restoration, nature recovery and water discovery projects can access NPC, understand regulatory requirements, and identify when permits or licences may be needed. It aims to reduce uncertainty, avoid delays, and support positive outcomes for nature, water and people.

What types of activities do nature projects include?

  • Raising water levels in peat soils (rewetting)
  • Blocking drainage channels and restoring natural hydrology
  • Creating backwaters, wetlands, scrapes and ponds
  • Installing leaky dams or other natural flood management features
  • Reconnecting rivers to floodplains
  • Diverting, slowing or storing water
  • Constructing small structures (bunds, weirs, outfalls)

These activities help restore ecosystems – but they can also affect water flow, flood risk and water quality


When might you need a permit or licence?

Working in or near rivers or floodplains:

You may need a Flood Risk Activity Permit (FRAP) if your work:

  • Takes place in, over, under or within 8m of a main river
  • Involves structures like culverts, bunds, dams or outfalls
  • Changes water levels, flow or storage
  • Includes dredging, excavation or channel changes

These activities are regulated because they can affect flood risk and river processes.

To understand if your activity requires a FRAP you can apply for a pre-app:

To apply for a formal FRAP you will need to complete the following forms:


Taking water from surface water or groundwater:

You may need to get an abstraction licence if you take more than 20 cubic metres per day from a source of supply. Or if Abstraction is regulated to protect habitats and ensure sustainable water use.

You can find the different application forms you you might need for these permit licences below:

For more information about abstracting water click here: More information about abstracting water


Holding back or raising water levels:

You may need an impoundment licence if your project permanently or temporarily holds back water or raises water levels in channels drains or rivers, An impoundment is when you create a structure that changes how water flows or is stored such as bunds, weirs, dams, sluices or culvert. This is common in peatland restoration, wetland creation and natural flood management schemes.

For more information about impounding click here: More information about impounding water


Releasing water back to the environment:

You may need a water discharge permit if you release water into rivers, ditches or groundwater or the discharge could affect water quality.




Depending on your project, you may also need:

  • Groundwater activity permits
  • Waste permits (e.g. using materials for restoration)


Managed Wetlands – Licensing Principles


High Fen, courtesy of Matt Hay, NattergalA Managed Wetland System is defined under The Water Abstraction and Impounding (Exemptions) Regulations 2017 as:


1. an area of land that is periodically inundated or saturated by abstracted water in order to provide ecological benefits to flora and fauna, or

2. an area of land through which abstracted water flows, through a system of channels, sluices, carriers or other apparatus in order to provide ecological benefits to flora and fauna.

Click here to see the different scenarios: Managed Wetland Scenarios


Thank you for visiting our new water hub. This is a pilot service. We acknowledge not everything is covered here yet, this is a new offering which will grow over the coming months.

Enabling faster, smarter nature recovery

Nature Permitting Coordination (NPC) is a new Environment Agency service for projects that need multiple permits or licences. It provides coordinated support, early engagement, and clear decision timelines to help projects progress efficiently. All work is provided on a full cost-recovery basis.

This page explains how nature restoration, nature recovery and water discovery projects can access NPC, understand regulatory requirements, and identify when permits or licences may be needed. It aims to reduce uncertainty, avoid delays, and support positive outcomes for nature, water and people.

What types of activities do nature projects include?

  • Raising water levels in peat soils (rewetting)
  • Blocking drainage channels and restoring natural hydrology
  • Creating backwaters, wetlands, scrapes and ponds
  • Installing leaky dams or other natural flood management features
  • Reconnecting rivers to floodplains
  • Diverting, slowing or storing water
  • Constructing small structures (bunds, weirs, outfalls)

These activities help restore ecosystems – but they can also affect water flow, flood risk and water quality


When might you need a permit or licence?

Working in or near rivers or floodplains:

You may need a Flood Risk Activity Permit (FRAP) if your work:

  • Takes place in, over, under or within 8m of a main river
  • Involves structures like culverts, bunds, dams or outfalls
  • Changes water levels, flow or storage
  • Includes dredging, excavation or channel changes

These activities are regulated because they can affect flood risk and river processes.

To understand if your activity requires a FRAP you can apply for a pre-app:

To apply for a formal FRAP you will need to complete the following forms:


Taking water from surface water or groundwater:

You may need to get an abstraction licence if you take more than 20 cubic metres per day from a source of supply. Or if Abstraction is regulated to protect habitats and ensure sustainable water use.

You can find the different application forms you you might need for these permit licences below:

For more information about abstracting water click here: More information about abstracting water


Holding back or raising water levels:

You may need an impoundment licence if your project permanently or temporarily holds back water or raises water levels in channels drains or rivers, An impoundment is when you create a structure that changes how water flows or is stored such as bunds, weirs, dams, sluices or culvert. This is common in peatland restoration, wetland creation and natural flood management schemes.

For more information about impounding click here: More information about impounding water


Releasing water back to the environment:

You may need a water discharge permit if you release water into rivers, ditches or groundwater or the discharge could affect water quality.




Depending on your project, you may also need:

  • Groundwater activity permits
  • Waste permits (e.g. using materials for restoration)


Managed Wetlands – Licensing Principles


High Fen, courtesy of Matt Hay, NattergalA Managed Wetland System is defined under The Water Abstraction and Impounding (Exemptions) Regulations 2017 as:


1. an area of land that is periodically inundated or saturated by abstracted water in order to provide ecological benefits to flora and fauna, or

2. an area of land through which abstracted water flows, through a system of channels, sluices, carriers or other apparatus in order to provide ecological benefits to flora and fauna.

Click here to see the different scenarios: Managed Wetland Scenarios


Thank you for visiting our new water hub. This is a pilot service. We acknowledge not everything is covered here yet, this is a new offering which will grow over the coming months.

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Page last updated: 04 Aug 2026, 12:56 PM