Badgers Cause Delays

A LEIGH road suffering structural instability has been met with further delays after burrowing badgers halted multi-million-pound repair works.

Cliff Parade has a traffic light control system underway whilst Natural England helped relocate the badgers.

Now, Southend Council revealed that someone had tampered with equipment designed to stop badgers returning to their setts, in a scheme that was meant to prevent further road danger and crumbing on the road.

It has also emerged that a licence given to the council by Natural England to move the setts stipulates the badgers can’t be moved between November and July.

Coun Meg Davidson, cabinet member for environment, said; “We don’t want to do any work that could cause harm to the badgers, but likewise the sett is causing significant damage and safety concerns to the road above.

“It is disappointing that someone has interfered with the work that has already taken place and removed the one-way gates, which were intended to close off the existing sett so that the badgers would move on from this location and settle elsewhere.

“This work is being done for the safety and preservation of the badgers that are in the sett and I would urge people to let the experts do their work.”

Richard Longstaff Green Party councillor for Leigh said a comprehensive plan was needed to relocate the badgers.

He said: “They need to reengineer the cliffs.

“They could be reinforcing the part of the cliffs at the only place they can relocate. The council needs to be honest with people. They’ve got no plan.”

Kevin Buck, councillor responsible for highways and transport, commented: “Highways officers are keeping a close eye on it. Had the work site not been interfered with the work probably would have been done by now.

“I don’t think it should necessarily deteriorate anymore because that’s the reason why the light controls were put in place, to take some pressure away from the cliffside of the highway.”

Picture: The area of the cliffs under concern. Pic Southend Council

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