Badgers and their setts (underground homes) are protected by law in the UK, so it is crucial to identify their presence and understand the impact any proposed development may have on their habitat. The survey findings help inform the planning process, allowing developers and local authorities to consider alternative designs or mitigation strategies to minimise disturbance to badger populations.

Badger surveys are often a first step in assessing a proposed development site’s ecological impact. Their primary goal is to identify signs of badger activity and to map the locations of any setts in or around the area in question. This information is then used to inform the planning process in terms of adjusting development plans or establishing mitigation strategies to minimise disturbance. In some cases, if construction is likely to disrupt a sett directly, developers may need to obtain a licence from Natural England, which allows temporary or permanent closure of a sett but only under strict guidelines.

Surveyors look for several distinct indicators to confirm the presence of badgers:

• Footprints and Paths: · Footprints and Paths: Badgers tend to follow habitual routes, creating well-worn paths between their setts and foraging areas. Their footprints, distinguishable by the long claws on their forepaws, are often found along these trails, especially in muddy or soft ground
• Guard Hairs: A careful eye can spot guard hairs, often caught on vegetation or fencing near setts. These coarse, wiry hairs are unique in structure and, under magnification, can confirm badger presence
• Latrines: Badgers are creatures of habit, even in their toileting, using specific latrine pits located near the edges of their territories. These small pits help surveyors identify the boundaries of badger territories and confirm the presence of active badgers
• Scratching Posts: Often found around entrances to setts or along their established paths, scratching posts are a clear sign of badger territory. Claw marks on tree trunks, fence posts, or other structures indicate where badgers sharpen their claws and mark their presence
• Snuffle Holes: Badgers dig small holes when foraging, particularly when searching for earthworms or insects. These shallow, circular holes are a distinctive sign of their feeding habits, helping surveyors understand foraging patterns and food availability in the area

Although surveys can be conducted year-round, the optimal time is during early spring or late autumn when taller vegetation doesn’t obscure paths and sett entrances. At these times, the tell-tale signs are more visible, and surveyors can more accurately assess activity levels. 

Surveys can be broadly split into two categories:

1. Initial Walkover Surveys: These are preliminary surveys to establish whether badgers are present. Surveyors map out any signs of badger activity and assess whether further investigation is needed. If signs of a sett are found, more detailed assessments follow.
2. Detailed Sett Surveys: If an initial survey confirms the presence of a sett, the next step is a more focused study to understand the badger social group, sett type and structure, activity levels, and potential disturbance factors. This often includes further surveying of the wider area, mapping out sett entrances, measuring sett dimensions, and observing activity through the use of camera traps.

If a sett is confirmed on or near the development site, developers must consider alternative site plans to avoid direct disturbance. In situations where construction proximity might pose a risk to badgers, mitigation measures can include protective fencing around the sett area and limiting noisy activities. In cases where disturbance is unavoidable, developers may apply for a licence to close the sett – which may include provision of a replacement sett – under expert supervision and in strict adherence to legal guidelines.

Badgers have adapted to various environments across the UK, from rural to increasingly urban settings. With a diet that spans from earthworms to small mammals and an ability to thrive in diverse habitats, badgers are both resilient and resourceful. Surveys provide critical data, helping planners make informed decisions that ensure the protection of badgers while facilitating responsible development. For ecologists, planners, and developers alike, these surveys underscore the importance of respecting and protecting the biodiversity that enriches the UK’s landscapes.

Badgers and their setts (tunnels and chambers where they live) are protected by law.

You may be able to get a licence from Natural England if you can’t avoid disturbing badgers in their sett or damaging their sett.

You could be sent to prison for up to 6 months and get an unlimited fine if you’re found guilty of any of these offences:

• intentionally capture, kill or injure a badger
• damage, destroy or block access to their setts
• disturb badgers in setts
• treat a badger cruelly
• deliberately send or intentionally allow a dog into a sett
• bait or dig for badgers

You’re breaking the law and could get an unlimited fine if you:

• have or sell a badger, or offer a live badger for sale
• have or possess a dead badger or parts of a badger (if you got it illegally)
• mark or attach a marking device to a badger

Activities that can affect badgers include:

• destroying or damaging their setts
• noise, additional lighting or vibration
• pile driving
• quarry blasting
• lighting fires
• using chemicals
• excavation
• ploughing and harvesting crops
• tree felling and timber extraction
• construction or repair of flood defences or watercourses

In most cases you should be able to avoid disturbing badgers and damaging or blocking access to their sett.

If you can’t avoid this, you can apply for a licence to interfere with a sett from Natural England. You’ll need to show you’ve tried everything else possible to avoid affecting badgers.

You’ll need expert help with your licence application if it’s for a development project. Find out what type of survey and mitigation methods will be needed to support a planning application.

You usually won’t need a licence to do the following if it’s unlikely to disturb a badger in its sett or damage a sett:

• work with hand tools or machinery above or below ground close to a sett
• clear vegetation near setts, including felling small trees or shrubs, provided they are not uprooted and don’t block access to the sett
• clear ditches and watercourses using hand tools or machinery

Natural England will consider the existing level of disturbance around a sett when deciding if you need a licence.

If you think badgers are causing damage to your property or land you may be able to solve the problem without getting a licence. For example you could:

• use fences (including electric fences) to stop badgers from entering your land, provided this doesn’t block access to the sett
• add two-way gates to fences so badgers don’t damage them

You may be able to get a licence to interfere with the sett if the damage caused by the sett is, or is likely to become, serious, eg subsidence, damage to roads or paths.