'The badgers will not be harmed' say developers blocking off setts to build new houses in Milton Keynes
Developers building new homes over established badger setts have assured people the wild creatures will not be harmed.
The Vistry Goup is planning to build a a complete mini town with hundreds of homes plus community, education and recreation facilities on former Tickford Fields farmland in Newport Pagnell.
Early preparations of the site have begun and recently local people were disturbed to spot a large wire mesh framework on the ground covering a badger sett.
The structure has one-way metal doors in place to ensure that once the badgers leave the sett, they cannot enter it again and will be forced to relocate.
Although it is technically legal for a developer to do this before construction begins, it is a highly controversial move amongst wildlife campaigners.
Many people worried that the badgers could become stuck in the wire or become injured on the roads while looking for a new place to live.
"An absolute disgrace. HS2 behaviour all over again. No regard for any other species that share our island,” said one protestor.
But this week Vistry assured residents that their move was both legal and necessary.
A spokesperson told the Citizen: “We’re currently preparing this site to the east of Newport Pagnell to create 930 new homes along with new community, education and recreation facilities. As part of this process, we have secured the appropriate licence from Natural England and followed their requirements to safely close a subsidiary badger sett.
"This will ensure the badgers are not harmed as we develop new homes to meet the significant local need and tackle the UK’s ongoing housing crisis.”
The countryside site is home to a plethora of wildlife, including badgers, and they must be legally relocated before building work can start. In the UK, badgers and their setts are legally protected under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, which imposes significant restrictions on developers.
Interference with setts is a criminal offence unless a specific licence is obtained and developers are careful to stick to the permitted ways to encourage badgers off their land by applying for a special licence from the government before they act.