Badger

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The initial survey can be conducted at any time of year and will cover the proposed development site itself but also a buffer of at least 30m from the site boundary where possible. Fence lines, woodlands, scrubby habitats and other suitable habitats will be checked for tell-tale signs such as sett entrances, droppings, pathways or footprints in soft soil.

Once a badger sett has been located, it can be classified based on a number of criteria, and then placed into one of four categories: Main sett, annexe sett, subsidiary sett or outlier sett.

As multiple holes are often present, it is not always clear which entrance a badger may use, survey methods including use of motion-sensing cameras will identify where badgers are entering a sett, where they’re going once they leave, how many badgers are present and potentially the life stage of the animals present.

Badgers are in the same family as otters, weasels, ferrets and pine martins, among others. Badgers are burrowing animals and will often dig several burrows called setts. There will be a main sett which can be large enough to support 15 individuals, this sett will have multiple different entrances and the tunnels can often spread over 10m out from the entrance hole, many meters deep. As well as this main sett badgers will dig several secondary setts slightly further afield, perhaps near seasonal food sources.

• The Protection of Badgers Act (1992) is effective in England and Wales (Scotland is different), and makes it an offence to:
• Willfully kill injure or take a badger (or attempt to do so)
• Cruelly ill-treat a badger
• Dig for a badger
• Intentionally or recklessly damage or destroy a badger sett, or obstruct access to it
• Allow a dog to enter a badger sett
• Disturb a badger whilst it is occupying a sett

As with all protected species law – there are exceptions and licences can be granted provided adequate justification is provided, in which case a suitably trained ecologist can relocate the badgers to a safe place.