# The Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994, Regulation 18: Notification of potentially damaging operations

Extent: E+W+S

(1) Any person who intentionally or recklessly damages any natural feature by reason of which land is a European site is, subject to paragraph (2), guilty of an offence.
(2) Any person who does anything which would, but for this paragraph, amount to an offence under paragraph (1) is not guilty of the offence if it is shown that–
(a) the act was the incidental result of a lawful operation,
(b) the person who carried out the lawful operation–
(i) took reasonable precautions for the purpose of avoiding carrying out the act, or
(ii) did not foresee, and could not reasonably have foreseen, that the act would be an incidental result of the carrying out of the lawful operation, and
(c) that person took such steps as were reasonably practicable in all the circumstances to minimise the damage caused.
(3) Any person guilty of an offence under paragraph (1) is liable–
(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale,
(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1994/2716/regulation/18 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/conservation-natural-habitats-c-regulations-1994/regulation-18
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.