The Daily Telegraph

Badger family gives villagers a sinking feeling

Road closed for six months after burrowing animals, protected by law, cause surface to collapse

- By and

Francesca Marshall

Helen Chandler-wilde BREEDING badgers have forced the closure of a Suffolk road for six months after a council said they could not be disturbed.

Flowton Road was forced to close in March after a family of badgers burrowed beneath its surface, causing the road to partially collapse.

Despite desperate pleas from residents, the council said the road would not reopen until September as it needed permission from Natural England, the conservati­on body, because badgers were a protected species.

In March Suffolk County Council had been working to get permission to carry out the repairs, but their website now shows these works will not be completed until mid-september.

A council spokesman previously said: “Suffolk Highways has a legal obligation to seek a licence from Natural England to undertake road repairs in the vicinity of badgers. To ensure that badgers are not disturbed during their breeding season Natural England usually only issue licences between July 1 and Nov 30. Suffolk Highways are now liaising with Natural England to plan the repair works, which are likely to be undertaken during the summer. It will … be necessary to keep this emergency road closure in place until we are able to carry out these repair works.”

While every effort was being made to accommodat­e the badgers, residents were left with only one road in and out the village, as another was closed for electricit­y wires to be laid.

John Field, a Suffolk county councillor for Flowton, said: “Leaving that road closed for months on end is completely inconvenie­nt. If you have a village with three roads in and out, having one road closed is inconvenie­nt, but having two leaves you with few options. It’s an over-response to the need to protect wildlife.”

Mr Field questioned why the more “reasonable” step of trapping the animals and moving them elsewhere was not being considered – a sentiment echoed by the Countrysid­e Alliance, who bemoaned that “the needs of badgers” were being put ahead of those who live and work in the area.

A spokesman said: “It is ridiculous that people’s livelihood­s have been put on hold when these badgers could easily and safely be moved so the road could be repaired.”

The badgers are only the latest animals in the rural county to force their will upon their human neighbours. Ed Sheeran, the singer, who lives on an estate near Framlingha­m, has faced objections to his plans to build a private chapel because of concerns about the effects on the great crested newt population. Earlier this month, he commission­ed experts to check for the amphibians – a regular thorn in the side of developers – on his land.

To add insult to injury for locals in Flowton, it is not clear that the badgers are even still in residence under the road. Mr Field said: “It’s my belief that the badgers that were there have left. They’re sensible creatures – after the road collapsed on their sett they left.”

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