A new simpler licensing process for bats, which came into force on 31 March 2014, will save developers and consultants time and money.
The new annexed licence will reduce the number of licence re-submissions and will help Natural England meet its target to reduce the costs for those it regulates.
It follows the establishment of a similar system for great crested newts, which was launched last year and has so far reduced the number of newt licence resubmissions by up to 25 per cent and produced savings of £85,000.
The annexed licence process enables minor issues to be resolved between the applicant and Natural England without the need to re-submit the entire method statement and supporting documents.
As well as reducing paperwork and process costs, this approach also helps developers avoid delays to projects, which can be critical when dealing with species that hibernate.
Janette Ward, Natural England director of regulation, said: "This licence provides more flexibility for our customers who can make minor amendments on good applications without having to go through a formal further information request. It will reduce costs and delays while still providing the necessary level of protection for bats."
From 1 May 2014, Natural England will be expecting all new bat applications to be submitted using the new system. Any new applications submitted using the old format will be returned.
The roll out of annexed licences to European Protected Species will continue and Natural England hopes to introduce the approach for dormice applications in mid-May.
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