This 2025/26 District Level Licensing (DLL) Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) is part of the wider DLL Monitoring and Evaluation Framework that was adopted in April 2024. The results from each AMR feed into a Five-Year Evaluation report (the first was published in early 2026). This AMR covers the financial year 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2026.
Each year, the AMR provides the annual monitoring information detailing the ecological and environmental outcomes as well as DLL licence and financial records.
The following topics have been reported on in this AMR:
- Uptake of the DLL Scheme
- Compensation pond delivery
- Licensed and projected development impacts on ponds
- Compensation pond monitoring results
- Staffing requirements to operate the DLL scheme
- Income and expenditure of DLL
Overall, this AMR highlights the success in the delivery of DLL ponds since the launch of DLL and the high suitability of DLL ponds for GCN, which are created/restored in line with best practice guidance. There has been an overall net gain in the number of suitable GCN ponds and in the number of occupied ponds as a result of the scheme. The licence records show the progression of applications through the DLL process. The DLL income and expenditure is broken down to show how the developer fees are used to cover the costs of the scheme, including the monitoring and maintenance of each pond for 25-years.
This report is written with the assumption that the reader has a general understanding of wildlife licensing. As a result, it does not detail the specific licensing requirements for great crested newts. To support adequate background knowledge, readers are encouraged to review the two sources listed below before proceeding, particularly regarding wildlife licensing and, more specifically, DLL.
District Level Licensing for great crested newts – our story
Developers: how to join the great crested newt district level licensing scheme – GOV.UK