I submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to Natural England. I asked them to provide information about requests they’ve received from development sites in Vale for permission to damage, destroy, block or otherwise cause harm to or interfere with badger setts and clans.

Here is what I asked:

Dear Natural England,

Developers requesting planning permission are regularly told by our local planning authority that they need a license from Natural England to allow them damage, destroy, block or otherwise cause harm to or interfere with badger setts and clans.

Provide total number of such licenses in Vale of White Horse that were sought in the past 5 years. 
Provide a total of licenses that were granted in that time. 
Provide a list all such licenses that were refused in that time, and include enough information that we can understand the location and reasons for refusal.

If there are applications for such licenses that have another disposition other than refused or granted, please list them.

Regards, 
Cllr Debby Hallett

Natural England replied to me. They informed me that no licenses have been refused in the past 5 years. 

I think that perhaps this information calls for a reconsideration in how we use ‘harm to badgers’ as a reason to refuse in our objections to planning applications.

Earlier, I spoke with the environment officer at Vale, who explained to me that badgers are not endangered — there are lots of them. The act was put in place to prevent cruelty to badgers. That makes more understandable the frustration we experience when all development sites are granted license to damage or destroy setts or even clans. I don’t think it’s right, but now it is understandable. 

For more information on the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, see the RSPCA site here:  https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/wildlife/inthewild/badgers/law