Badger Survey Bristol

Glade Ecology undertake badger surveys throughout Bristol and the surrounding area.

Our team of expert ecologists can help guide your project through the planning process. By working closely with our clients, we ensure that their developments progress smoothly and in full compliance with the law, orchestrating the best possible outcome for them and the natural world.

Considering ecological issues early on in the planning process can help ensure that potentially costly and time-consuming delays are avoided.

What is a badger survey?

Badgers are typically found in woodland, scrub habitats, and grassland throughout all but far north-western Britain, though populations are often densest in the south and west. The British population declined dramatically during the 20th century, primarily due to trapping and badger baiting. They are protected under UK law, making it an offence of kill, capture, or disturb them, or to damage their setts and key foraging areas. Works affecting otters are subject to licensing procedures. 

Badgers are present throughout a range of habitats, including woodland, scrub, and grassland. Where these habitats are deemed likely to be affected by project proposals, a badger survey may be required, which aims to establish the presence/ likely absence of badger territories and setts on site. The appraisal is used to inform the emerging scheme design, enabling significant ecological effects within the zone of influence to be avoided, mitigated, or compensated for, where necessary. This ensures the continued favourable conservation status of badgers, post development, and ultimately compliance with nature conservation legislation and planning policy. 

There are two types of badger survey, comprising presence/ likely absence surveys, and the monitoring of setts for signs of current use. Presence/ likely absence surveys involve systematically inspecting all suitable habitats on site, along with any ecologically connected features within a 30m peripheral buffer where possible, searching for evidence of badger activity and, if setts are present, determining the type and status. The field survey is typically supplemented by a desk study, utilising maps and aerial photographs of the surrounding area to identify ecological connectivity, and published records of badgers, purchased from the local records centre.

If the presence of a sett is established, it may be necessary to demonstrate that it is in active use, or defunct. This is typically achieved by undertaking four week-long monitoring visits, spaced over at least a month. A variety of methods may be employed, including the deployment of hair traps, footprint traps, or camera traps, or endoscoping and dusk monitoring.

Requirements for any necessary avoidance, mitigation, or compensation measures will be identified, and opportunities for ecological enhancement will be outlined, to integrate on-site biodiversity net gain into the scheme at an early stage, where possible.​ If the proposals are deemed likely to adversely affect badgers, a mitigation licence may be required, prior to the commencement of works.

Certain badger surveys and mitigation works affecting badgers are seasonally constrained, making it prudent to plan ahead and consider ecological issues early on in the planning process. A robust badger survey at an early stage in project planning and design can therefore deliver significant benefits, avoiding potentially costly and time-consuming delays.​

Though the presence of ecological constraints very rarely prevents a development from proceeding, avoidance, mitigation, or compensation measures may need to be implemented, to adequately negate adverse impacts to the site's ecological value. For more information about ecology surveys, click below.

Badger Survey

How Glade Ecology can help you

With over fifteen years' experience in undertaking ecological surveys, mitigation design, licensing, site supervision, and monitoring, our friendly team of expert ecologists can help guide your project through the planning process. By working closely with our clients and considering ecological issues early on, we can help ensure that potentially costly and time-consuming delays are avoided.

We pride ourselves on providing pragmatic, practical solutions for our clients, that not only ensure full compliance with wildlife legislation, but that achieve the best possible outcome, for both them and the natural world.

We undertake badger surveys throughout Bristol and the surrounding areas of Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire. For more information about the services that we provide, or to request a free quotation, please contact us below.

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