New petition in Hockley to save badger setts

Residents of the village of Hockley in Essex have launched a campaign demanding that the local council halts plans to create allotments on land where badgers have their setts. The petition, which urges the council to use an alternative site instead, can be signed here.

Badgers are protected by the 1992 Protection of Badgers Act, which makes it a criminal offence to interfere with a badger sett. Moreover Section 40 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 requires local authorities to take into account the protection of biodiversity. Which begs the question, why are Rochford District Council even considering this site?

Local residents are concerned that the contested Pond Chase allotments will negatively impact road safety too. They told Protect the Wild:

"The proposed site is located down a private road with no parking or pavements, creating serious safety risks for residents and children. Increased traffic from allotment users would worsen these dangers."

A "sanctuary" under threat

Local resident Louise, who launched the petition at Change.org, wrote:

"When my family and I moved to our current home, we were struck by its stunning views, peacefulness, tranquility, and the presence of wonderful wildlife. Badgers, bats, ducks among other living beings, which we grew to love, made this environment their sanctuary. Today, this sanctuary is under threat. The council, against all objections, has decided to proceed with putting up fences and building allotments, threatening to destroy the wildlife homes in the process."

Louise pointed out that the badgers have likely lived in the area since before the human population arrived. She urges the community to live in harmony with the natural world, not push ahead with damaging developments:

"The council's actions not only disrupt our peaceful existence but also cause irrevocable damage to the lives of these beautiful creatures who have called this area home long before we arrived. We should live in harmony with, not at the expense of, the natural world around us. Time is running out for our wildlife."

Video evidence of active badger setts

Hockley residents shared this night-vision camera footage with Protect the Wild. The video provides evidence that multiple badgers live on the land:

Residents showed us evidence from the Essex Badger Protection Group, which has provided expert evidence demonstrating that the proposed allotments will significantly impact the badgers and their habitat.

The campaigners told Protect the Wild that the proposed allotments would:

• Destroy active badger setts, disrupting their habitat and potentially forcing them towards the nearby railway line, putting them at serious risk.

• Cut off a vital water supply from a nearby pond, endangering wildlife dependent on it.

• Threaten other protected species, including slow worms and bats, which rely on this habitat for shelter and

Protect the Wild contacted Rochford District council for comment. A council spokesperson said:

A planning consent 15/00599/FUL for the Pond Chase Nurseries residential development was approved by Rochford Council in 2016. This included a condition which secured a new allotment space for the benefit of local residents. As the statutory body required to provide allotment space this land was passed to Hockley Parish Council by the developer to complete the works and operate the allotments.

We contacted Hockley Parish Council too, however we had not received a reply by the time of publication.

Campaigners in Hockley

A viable alternative site is available

The campaigners are urging "the Parish Council to reconsider this harmful decision and choose a site that supports both local residents and the environment."

The petition has already been signed by over 6300 local people.

Please support the petition to protect Hockley's badgers. If you're a local resident you can sign it here, and please share it as widely as you can.

Featured images via Hockley residents