Badger Surveys

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Badger Surveys

Over the years, badger populations have been threatened by human activities, such as development, which often results in badger habitat loss and fragmentation. Badgers have also been subject to persecution and disturbance linked to recreational activities. This is one of the many reasons they are a protected species.

Badgers live in small social groups and are present in both rural and urban areas. Preferring areas of woodland, arable, copses and pasture, they live in underground tunnels and chambers called ‘setts’ and are most active during dusk, dawn and night-time. If you believe they are present on your property, you may want to have a badger survey conducted.

What We Offer

At Greenlight, we offer specialist Badger surveys that can help with planning permissions.

Every development proposal and Local Planning Authority (“LPA”) requires sufficient information to make sure badgers (and other protected species) obtain the highest protection against injury or disturbance during development.

If your project has the potential to impact local biodiversity, Greenlight Environmental Consultancy have the badger protection surveys and services to help.

If there is a chance that badgers will be harmed as a result of your development projects, our ecologist specialists can advise on the appropriate mitigation needed to ensure the species’ protection and reduce the ecological risk.

Badger Survey Legislation

Badger populations continue to decline as a result of human activities. This has led to badger protection laws being introduced in the UK and EU. These laws include:

  • Protection of Badgers Act 1992
  • Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996

Under these legislations badgers are protected from:

  • Capturing, killing, injuring and disturbing;
  • Damaging or destroying setts;
  • Obstructing access to setts;
  • Deliberately sending or intentionally allowing a dog into a sett;
  • Marking or attaching a marking device to a badger; and
  • Possessing, advertising for sale, selling or transporting for sale, live or dead (part or derivative).

Read more about the specific badger protection surveys below:

Preliminary Ecological Appraisals (“PEA”)

Badger Preliminary Ecological Appraisals are typically required as a first step to initially address the ecological aspects of a planning application. Consisting of a site visit and a desktop assessment, a PEA can be conducted throughout the year and would offer recommendations of further badger surveys needed. This includes necessary assessments, appropriate mitigations and suitable enhancements for the proposed development.

An initial site assessment survey for badgers will usually be valid for 12 years, if not 24. However, due to the nature of badgers, it’s best that you get a new survey for different projects.

If you’re interested in a Badger PEA survey, our team would be happy to discuss any questions you may have.

Presence/Absence Badger Surveys

Generally, presence/absence surveys entail surveying a site for evidence of badger activity. This includes identifying markers such as badger setts, tracks, latrines and hairs. Site assessment for badgers can establish the presence or likely use of a site by the species and can be conducted throughout the year.

Camera Trap & Bait Marking Surveys

Camera trap surveys use trail cameras to monitor badgers’ setts for evidence of activity. Bait marking surveys aim to identify which latrines are associated with which badger setts. By placing food with plastic pellets of different colours at the entrance of each sett, our surveyors will pinpoint the territorial boundary of different badger groups and whether alternative setts are used by a same badger group. This information is important in order to decide where to create a new artificial sett. This type of survey can only be undertaken between February and April.

Badger bait marking surveys aim to identify which latrines are associated with which badger setts. By placing food with plastic pellets of different colours at the entrance of each sett, our surveyors will pinpoint the territorial boundary of different badger groups and whether alternative setts are used by a same badger group. This information is important in order to decide where to create a new artificial sett. This type of badger protection survey can only be undertaken between February and April.

Badger Exclusions & Sett Closure and Construction of Artificial Setts

When a Protected Species Mitigation Licence is granted, badger exclusion and badger sett closure can be undertaken. This includes installing a badger-proof exclusion fence or one-way gates on the sett entrances and destroying the sett once it is certain to be empty. Construction of artificial setts commonly use a mechanical digger to excavate the sett. Chambers are then created from concrete, breeze block or wood slabs, along with connecting tunnels constructed from concrete, clay or plastic pipes

Protected Species Mitigation Licences

Protected Species Mitigation Licences are granted by Natural England and cover projects such as housing developments, the construction of pipelines and the building of new fences. At Greenlight, we can assist with obtaining a licence for your development which has no means to avoid interfering with badger setts.

Mitigation & Enhancements

When activities are likely to have an impact on badgers, a mitigation strategy tailored to avoid the specific issues on the site should be put in place.

Mitigation and enhancement measures for badgers include:

  • creating a buffer zone around the setts;
  • maintaining food and water sources and habitat connectivity;
  • excluding badgers from an area of work;
  • creating artificial badger setts and;
  • improving habitats.

    Overseeing Construction Works

    The Greenlight team will watch and oversee construction works to ensure installation and works are kept outside a buffer zone, so destruction of badger setts and injury or killing of animals are avoided. This also includes toolbox talks.

    Greenlight Environmental Badger Surveys

    Greenlight Environmental Consultancy offer a comprehensive service to assist with badger surveys and mitigation measures. Our skilled and dedicated team strive to complete these required assessments and enhancements with a fast turnaround and great attention to detail.

    You can book any of the surveys mentioned by Giving us a call today.