Badger Survey

Badger Surveys and Mitigation

Our professional approach to each of our client’s project allows us to recognise the need for development while adhering to current badger legislation.

The information below is for guidance only and may not include all aspects of the species or its mitigation. Full details are available from our qualified ecologists.

Did you know? BADGER FACTS

Badgers are found in rural and urban habitats
The sett is made up of extensive interconnecting tunnels and chambers
Badgers diet is varied and includes insects, worms, fruit and grain
They do not hibernate but remain mainly underground in the winter
It is illegal to kill or disturb badgers or their setts in any way, shape or form

Badger Legislation

Badgers are protected by The 1992 Protection of Badger Act, Schedule 6 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended), The Environmental Protection Act 1986, The Natural Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991 and the Criminal Justices Act 1991.
It is illegal to:

Wilfully attempt or attempt to kill, injure, ill treat or take a badger
Dig for badgers
Use badger tongs or a firearm other than the type specified under the exceptions within the Act
Interfere, damage, destroy or obstruct a badger sett
Allow or cause a dog to enter a sett or disturb an occupied sett either intentionally or by neglect
Sell or offer for sale a live badger
Have possession or control of a live badger
Mark or attach a ring, tag or other marking device to a badger

WHAT WE DO

Initial Assessment for Badgers

Before any building or development begins on a site which may potentially disturb badgers or their setts we would perform an initial assessment survey to confirm the presence or absence of badgers. A report is produced which is suitable to use with your planning application and highlights any potential impact on badgers. If they are found to be in existence a further survey will be required and a mitigation statement produced.

Additional Badger Surveying

Once a badger sett has been identified a further detailed assessment of the surrounding land is required. Territorial boundaries of the badger social group using the area will be established with distribution of all the local setts and their current status. This may reveal an alternative sett already within their territory that they could move to with the minimum of disturbance. If the identified sett is an annexe, subsidiary or outlying sett it is sometimes easier to persuade the badgers to leave that sett and move within their own territory to a main sett which is in continuous use.

Building works within 20 metres of a badger sett will require a licence. If heavy machinery of any sort, including soil cultivation, is to be used which could cause a ground vibration or noise disturbance to the badgers this area is extended to 30 metres of the sett and requires a different licence.

Badger Survey Methods

Badger surveys can be performed any time of the year. Our suitably qualified and licensed ecologists will look for evidence of badgers in the form of their setts, latrines, pathways between setts or leading to their feeding area. Other evidence can be in the form of scratching posts, footprints or hair traces caught on vegetation.

Badger Licence Application

Should the presence badgers be proven we will prepare a detailed mitigation method statement with our suggestions as to how the badgers can be protected and conserved during and after development. This can be used with the licence application to Natural England which can take approximately four weeks so we would recommend an early application to avoid development delays.

Badger Mitigation

Our Creative Ecological Solutions maximise the choices available to you the developer. While preservation of the badgers is extremely important to us we understand and appreciate the need to develop in the modern world.

Our suggestions may include some of the following:

Avoid breeding and other sensitive times of the year
Sett closure or badger exclusion, depending on the type of sett
Design and construction of artificial badger setts
Planting of native shrubs and trees
Maintaining or enhancing food sources
Post-construction monitoring
Installation of road crossing tunnels

Survey Times

Initial Survey: Year round

Limitations: Actions that may disturb badgers will require a license and is restricted to between 1st July – 30th November

Booking a Badger Survey

As soon as you know you need a badger survey we recommend you book a date for our initial assessment. Please either call us on 01676 525880 to speak to our specialist Badger Survey department.

Alternatively please email your details to species@middlemarch-environmental.com and we will call you.

	BREEAM Assessments
	Phase 1 & Arboricultural Surveys
	Protected Species
	Mitigation Plans & Habitat Creation
	EIA & Masterplanning
	Business & Biodiversity