Badger Licensing (Split from Manor Vale Cave, North York Moors)

[Chocolate fireguard]

Natural England have said that a licence was issued to close a badger sett at Manor Vale Cave. I had asked about the reasons given, but a Freedom of Information request would be needed.

I have been told by people who have experience of these things that NE would never issue a licence to remove a badger just because cavers wanted to dig.

So I still don't understand why ?difficult removal of a troublesome badger? and ? licence to evict? appeared in the OP. It dismayed me and I am sure others felt the same.

With little information from the diggers, and wanting to believe the best, I gather/surmise the diggers realised the place was a badger sett but perhaps inactive. They were anxious to do things by the book so applied to NE for permission to monitor it, found no trace of use for 28 days and applied to NE for a licence to close it.

They deserve a lot of credit for going about this the right way when it is quite likely that others would  not have done, perhaps because they would not have known how.
It might be useful to others sometime if somebody could briefly outline the procedure.
So far as I can see there are many pages of information on line if you want a licence actually to remove badgers, but nothing of any use to cavers/diggers.

A licence was issued so I apologise to the diggers.
I have sent a cheque for ?100 to gardouth, via ukCaving.

 

[mch]

There is online guidance regarding badgers and licences at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/badgers-protection-surveys-and-licences . As Chocolate fireguard says, the diggers have gone about this the right way. However, I am still concerned that a licence could be granted simply because someone wanted to close a sett to enable a cave to be dug.

 

[mikem]

The most obvious option is the licence for archaeological digs:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/badgers-licence-to-interfere-with-setts-during-archaeological-digs

Mike

 

[Graigwen]

How did you "prove" it had not returned for 28 days?

Flour?

Half a century ago I had some difficulty ascertaining if an extensive sett was occupied before a geophysical survey. Having seen the way worms wriggled out of the ground, zapping 15,000 volts into the earth a couple of feet above a sleeping badger seemed potentially cruel. I put small twigs across all the entrances the evening before, when they were all seen to be undisturbed next day the survey went ahead, no badgers appeared.

.

 

[ianball11]

A licence was issued so I apologise to the diggers. I have sent a cheque for ?100 to gardouth, via ukCaving.

    man of your word

 

[GarDouth]

I have indeed received my cheque from Mr C Fireguard and I must commend him on being a man of his word and I appreciate the apology.

I did not post our licence details partly because I have been very busy at work and also because I'm very happy with my own integrity and didn't feel I (we) had anything to prove. As a digging group we have always done things by the book within reason and have been rewarded by a great relationship with several local land owners. I believe that communication and compromise are the best way for cavers/diggers to get greater access and maintain good relations.

My original post perhaps made it sound like we were being a bit harsh to Mr Badger but it was simply written in a light-hearted spirit to make a more interesting report.