ANY residents hoping the badgers that have taken up residence in Bolebrooke Road, Bexhill, will be moved on anytime soon are likely to be disappointed.
Although plenty of work is going on behind the scenes, mountains of red tape make it difficult to implement a speedy resolution.
East Sussex County Councillor Ian Hollidge admits the delays are frustrating but inevitable bearing in mind the badgers are now well-established at the site and the situation has to be resolved with care and plenty of planning.
He said: “Clearly none of us expected badgers to move into the roadworks and to then start burrowing and creating their own subterranean environment beneath the road surface.
“But they have and now we are working hard on finding the best way to deal with them in a sensitive and responsible manner.”
The crafty critters are thoroughly enjoying life in their new home and it is going to be a devil of a job to move them on to pastures new where they will be free to roam to their heart’s content in safe surroundings.
According to information sourced by Bexhill News, upon their discovery work was immediately paused at the end of the road close to the seafront as the animals are a protected species.
A licenced ecologist has been contacted to conduct an assessment but they are yet to visit the site and will need to confirm the presence of an active badger sett before further progress can be embarked upon.
East Sussex Highways are in the process of applying for a licence from Natural England, which is necessary to legally interfere with a badger sett.
That process is expected to take between one and two weeks depending on the complexity of the case and the workload of the licensing authority.
Once the licence is obtained, a plan will be implemented embracing the steps to be taken to protect the badgers, which may include creating an artificial sett and relocating the badgers if necessary.
That phase involves further ecological surveys and consultations, which can take an additional two to three weeks.
Subject to approval, and further liaison with the appropriate authorities will depend on the specific requirements of ecologists and Natural England.
The ongoing welfare of the badgers will remain paramount at all times but once they have been successfully removed to a safe environment, work on the road will resume.
However, this work is expected to take a further two to three months.
