Certain plant and animal species and habitats are protected under either the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981, or under legislation concerning individual animals (e.g. bats, badgers etc.) or by regulations implementing European Directives (e.g. on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora). The coverage of this legislation and regulations is regularly reviewed.

The presence of protected species and habitats may be a material consideration in the determination of a planning application. Wherever such species or habitats occur, the City Council will expect them to be protected from harm when development takes place. If insufficient protection is proposed, planning permission will normally be refused. Where sufficient protection can be achieved to allow development to proceed, planning permission will normally be subject to conditions to ensure that protective measures are taken. In some cases it may be necessary for such protection to be secured by legal obligation.