Knepp Wildland in West Sussex is at the centre of beaver recovery in the county. A pair of beavers was introduced to an enclosure at Knepp in 2020, with a new pair subsequently released in 2022.

Beavers then bred successfully, producing the first young born in Sussex for centuries. There are now several generations living within the approximately 250 hectare project area. The site lies within a sub catchment of the River Adur, making the wider Adur system particularly important to Sussex's developing beaver recovery.

In early 2026, beaver activity was also reported outside the Knepp Estate. These reports are being followed up and should not currently be interpreted as confirmation of an established free living population. Knepp has since been invited to submit a full licence application for free living beavers within the Adur catchment.

For planning and development, this changing situation makes current ecological records particularly important for sites affecting suitable freshwater habitat within the wider catchment.

The River Wye catchment is one of the areas in England where breeding wild beaver populations have been identified. This makes Herefordshire particularly relevant when considering beavers within planning and development.

The county's freshwater network is highly connected. The Wye is joined by major tributaries including the Lugg, while the Lugg catchment itself incorporates waterways including the Frome and Arrow.

Beavers can disperse through connected river systems as territories become established, meaning historical records alone may not provide a complete picture of current distribution.

For developments affecting suitable freshwater habitat, current ecological information and site specific evidence are therefore particularly important.

Where the LPA requests further information relating to beavers, an appropriate Beaver Survey can establish how a site is being used, identify burrows, lodges, dams or other evidence of activity, and provide the information needed to assess potential development impacts.

A rural housing plot near Winchester required a badger assessment after a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) identified well-used badger runs along a hedgerow. Our detailed survey confirmed the presence of an outlier sett located outside the proposed development footprint. This allowed the project designs to proceed without the need for a badger mitigation licence. The resulting report was fully compliant and accepted by the council without any follow-up queries, enabling the client to keep the project on schedule and avoid costly delays.

Beaver recovery is already relevant to Surrey through the wider River Wey catchment. An enclosed beaver project was established on a headwater of the River Wey near Haslemere, close to the Surrey and West Sussex border.

Surrey Wildlife Trust is also working towards the future return of beavers within the county and has identified the potential for the species to spread through suitable riverside and wetland habitats if established. This makes Surrey an important county to monitor as beaver recovery and licensed releases continue across England.

For planning and development, however, the existence of suitable habitat or wider beaver recovery does not mean every Surrey watercourse requires a Beaver Survey. Current ecological records, evidence of activity, habitat suitability and the nature of the proposed works remain important when considering a particular site. Where an LPA requests further information relating to beavers, ProHort can provide the appropriate ecological assessment and reporting to support the application.

Kent has played an important role in the return of beavers to England. Ham Fen near Worth in East Kent was the location of the UK's first official beaver release project, with beavers introduced to the reserve in the early 2000s.

Over more than two decades, beaver activity has helped transform the reserve by raising water levels, restoring areas of peat fen and creating a changing mosaic of wetland, scrub and open habitats. Beavers are now established beyond the original project and form part of East Kent's wild biodiversity.

The River Stour supports a nationally important beaver population, with animals and field signs recorded through the catchment. Beaver activity has been documented as far inland as the Ashford area, including around Conningbrook Lakes.

For planning and development, this means beaver presence in East Kent is not simply a future possibility or limited to an enclosed reintroduction site. Where development could affect suitable habitat within the Stour catchment, current ecological information should be considered and the LPA may request further assessment where beavers could be affected.

Yorkshire's best established beaver project is at Cropton Forest in North Yorkshire, near Pickering. Two adult Eurasian beavers were released into a secure enclosure in April 2019 as part of a scientific trial examining natural flood management and the effect of beaver activity on existing woody dams.

The beavers subsequently bred, with the first kits born in 2019 representing the first beavers born in Yorkshire for more than 400 years.

Over the following years, the family expanded its use of the enclosure, constructing dams and lodges and altering water levels and wetland habitat. The original five year trial concluded in 2024 and was subsequently granted a further five year extension by Natural England.

The Cropton project remains an enclosed population and should not be presented as evidence of an established wild beaver population across Yorkshire. However, its success has contributed to the next stage of beaver recovery in the region.

The Eden catchment is currently the most significant area for wild beavers in Cumbria. In May 2026, Cumbria Connect confirmed that wild beavers were living within the catchment. The Eden system extends through a diverse landscape between the Lake District and Pennines, encompassing upland tributaries, agricultural valleys, wetlands and extensive river corridors. The River Eden flows north through areas including Appleby in Westmorland and Carlisle, receiving water from a substantial network of tributaries.

For development within the catchment, confirmed wild presence means beavers should no longer be considered solely in terms of future reintroduction. Where suitable habitat could be affected, current records and field evidence can help establish whether beavers or protected features are relevant to a particular project.

This does not mean that every development within the Eden catchment requires a Beaver Survey. The LPA determines the ecological information required for an application based on the circumstances of the site and proposed works.

Dorset is already part of England's expanding beaver recovery. Free living beavers have been discovered in parts of the county, although their total number and distribution are not currently known. A Dorset Beaver Management Group has been established to provide advice and support in areas where beavers are present. This creates an important distinction for planning and development.

Beavers in Dorset are not confined solely to enclosed conservation projects. Current records and field evidence may therefore be relevant where works affect suitable freshwater habitat outside formally managed sites. For appropriate developments, ecological assessment can establish whether there is evidence of beaver activity and whether protected features could be affected by the proposed works.

The River Tame catchment provides one of the clearest examples of the West Midlands' distinctive freshwater environment. The Environment Agency describes its upper reaches through the West Midlands as heavily urbanised, with many watercourses modified historically to accommodate development and manage flood risk.

The Tame has two principal upper arms associated with Wolverhampton and Oldbury, which meet around Bescot before the river continues towards Birmingham. Further downstream it connects with other waterways including the River Rea and River Cole, eventually leaving the West Midlands conurbation and continuing towards the River Trent.

This connectivity is important when considering protected species. Wildlife distribution does not follow administrative boundaries. Where species expand through river systems, connected catchments can become relevant even where historical local records have been limited. For individual developments, however, this does not justify unnecessary Beaver Surveys. Current records, field evidence, habitat suitability and the proposed works should determine the ecological context provided to the LPA.

The River Otter is at the centre of England's modern beaver recovery story. Wild beavers were discovered living in East Devon and, following the emergence of evidence that they were breeding, the River Otter Beaver Trial was established in 2015.

Unlike many early beaver projects elsewhere in England, these animals were not restricted to an enclosure. They were able to establish territories along the River Otter and its tributaries. The five year trial concluded in 2020, after which the Government permitted the population to remain and continue spreading naturally.

Today, beavers are established throughout the River Otter catchment, with activity recorded between Honiton and Budleigh Salterton and family groups occupying the river and some of its tributaries.

For development within the Otter catchment, beavers are therefore an established ecological consideration rather than simply a potential future species.This does not mean every development within the catchment requires a Beaver Survey. The LPA determines what ecological information is required based on the site, current evidence and proposed works.