Badgers near Hay-on-Wye delay road repairs

1:53pm Tuesday 2nd December 2008

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BADGERS have delayed road repairs near Hay-on-Wye by setting up home near the road.

Herefordshire Council’s contracting partners Amey have been unable to carry out repairs on the B4348 due to a badgers sett in an embankment which runs parallel to the road.

Chris Howell, highway manager for Amey, said: “We were asked by Herefordshire Council to set up a temporary lane closure with temporary lights on this road in Cusop – imagine our surprise when we found the road had been undermined by a badger sett.

“We contacted English Nature, which advised on what steps we needed to take next, starting with making four gates to position over the holes that would allow any badgers to leave the sett but not return.”

The council has been issued with a special licence to carry out this work and once English Nature is satisfied there are no badgers left in the sett, work will be resumed.

Once the go-ahead is given, it is anticipated the works will take between four and six weeks to complete.