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Province of Gelderland: applying for a permit for an activity on a Natura 2000 site

Do you want to carry out activities in a Natura 2000 site? Activities that you carry out, may affect a Natura 2000 site. To carry out your plans, you may need a permit. You need a permit for, among other: 

  • emission that leads to nitrogen deposit on a Natura 2000 site; 
  • destruction and fragmentation;
  • noise and light disturbance; 
  • groundwater abstraction; 
  • recreation leading to disturbance

If your activity results in damage, conduct research (nature check) to determine whether there is a permit requirement.

You will receive a decision if you meet the following conditions: 

  • For nitrogen emissions and deposition (precipitation of air pollutants), you must ensure sufficient netting measures and for external netting, you must comply with our nitrogen policy rules. 
  • In case of (significant) negative effects due to other factors, you must take sufficient measures to mitigate them; this is clear from the nature check. If the activity has effects on any protected species present, you must also apply for a protected species exemption.

Go to our website and check what information you need for an application or contact us.

You apply to the province for your permit. If you want to make an application where you take over nitrogen rights from another business (external netting), you must first make an external netting notification. Since 24 March 2020, nature permits can be applied for housing projects based on the Nitrogen Registration System (SSRS).

When you apply for a permit, the provincial charges are to be paid to the province. For more information go to the Costs page or contact us.

We need maximally 26 weeks to take a decision on your application, calculated from the day that you sent in your application. If you do not include all requested information with your application, processing it will take longer. We process applications in the order in which they are received. So, apply for your permit on time. The risk of starting without the required permit is at your expense.

If you disagree with a decision of the province and have an interest in that decision, you can file an objection. At the bottom of each decision you will find whether and within what time period you can filean objection and to whom you should address it. If you cannot file an objection with us, but there is another course of action available to you (such as filing an appeal with another authority), this will also be stated below the decision. More information can be found on our website.

If you have any questions please contact us by telephone +31 26359 9999.

Questions about this topic?

Contact the Province of Gelderland

Last updated on 17 November 2022