Badger Survey from £399

In Surrey, Badger Surveys are a frequent requirement for developers to submit, along with an application. Organisations like the East Surrey Badger Group and Surrey Wildlife Trust routinely review planning applications for various council’s within the boroughs of Surrey, and or act as the councils’ internal consultees for matters of biodiversity and protected species, in particular, for bats and badgers.

Save £££ on Your Badger Survey with Arbtech

Badgers hibernate. This means that if you have been asked for a badger survey by Elmbridge, Guildford, Surrey Heath or any other council, the constraint on your development is not only physical (do I/Don’t I have badgers,) but time-limited. The optimal survey season for badger surveys is February through April and October through November. Outside of this time, so-called “bait marking” badger surveys are impossible.

Badger Survey Video Clip

In the video that follows, Arbtech surveyor Mark Best watches the progress of a building contractor in Cheam, Surrey, carefully scrape away earth just outside of a known protection zone, identified in a badger survey earlier this year. By phasing the development, the applicant was able to progress part of the site works, while she applied for a Badger License to do works elsewhere in the site, known to be used by badgers.

Badger Habitat Surveys in Surrey

However, what you can do is provide the council with a badger survey that concentrates on habitats and local, known populations. If there are no records of badgers in your area, and you have no habitat to support them, then only the presence of a badger sett found during a badger survey, should be able to hold up your development application.

Badger Survey Summary

Bait marking badger surveys are expensive, very expensive. They are usually performed over at least a two-week period, and use lots of peanuts, syrup and plastic pellets—not forgetting of course, they are also time limited. Why go to this up front expense? You could try to eliminate the need altogether with a less comprehensive, more practical and cheaper badger survey for habitats—which can be undertaken year-round. If minimizing your up front costs is important to you, or you think there is very little chance of badgers being effected by your development, then call us today!
Robert Oates