ERC conducted an evaluation to review the effectiveness of the District Level Licensing (DLL) Scheme for Great Crested Newts focusing on the views of Local Authorities. The DLL Scheme was introduced by Natural England in 2019 as an innovative reform designed to produce better species outcomes whilst also delivering significant developer benefits including significant time savings and increased certainty of process. Natural England commissioned this work in order to better understand and evidence the ways in which DLL was currently working with LPAs that are signed up to the Scheme. Data was collected through targeted engagement with LPAs officers in development planning, development management and ecology. The final report detailed the responses to the evaluative questions including feedback and proposed recommendations to improve the Scheme which could make it fit for purpose, both for LPAs and developers.