Badgers

The badger Meles meles, and their setts are fully protected throughout the UK, sometimes resulting in the need for badger surveys on land proposed for development.

Surveys focus on locating and identifying occupied setts with surrounding trails and foraging habitat, and latrines (used by badgers to mark their home-ranges – surveying these allows us to identify the extent of land used by badgers at a sett).

Where there remains no option but to disturb an active sett, and / or exclude the associated animals, a Natural England license may be required to enable to work to proceed. This is only likely to be granted between July and November, will depend on the size of the sett and the quality of the surrounding habitat, and may require an artificial sett to be constructed as mitigation for any loss.

For more information Email us