Badger Burrowing Leads to £100,000 Road Damage in Lincolnshire

Lincolnshire County Council has reported that badgers burrowing beneath a road in the county have inflicted damage estimated at £100,000. The council specified that these mammals constructed a sett under the A52, specifically at Seaholme Road, located within Mablethorpe. An official spokesperson for the authority indicated that urgent repairs are necessary to prevent the road’s structural collapse. Nevertheless, the council’s ability to commence this work was contingent upon obtaining a licence from Natural England, given that badgers are a protected species. The spokesperson further explained that while the authority had aimed to perform the repairs sooner, the recent granting of the licence meant there was now limited time to complete the emergency work. This is because all interventions involving badger setts must be concluded between July and the end of November to avoid disrupting the badgers’ mating season. Councillor Richard Davies stated, “In total, these works are going to cost us an additional £100,000 to complete.” The Mablethorpe vicinity is already experiencing road closures on the A1104 due to ongoing resurfacing work. Davies acknowledged the authority’s awareness of existing traffic flow problems within the town, adding that the A1104 project could not be halted as it had reached a critical stage. Davies elaborated, stating, “Our hands are tied about scheduling these conflicting works. We have no option but to get this additional programme up and running straight away. If there was any other option available to us, we’d take it.” He further expressed that it was “extremely frustrating we have not been given this licence until now.” A spokesperson for the council confirmed that the work is scheduled to take place daily from 09:00 GMT to 16:00 GMT, commencing Saturday, November 8, and concluding Wednesday, November 20. Outside these specified hours, a three-way traffic light system will be implemented to allow continued use of the road. Natural England has been contacted for a statement.