Summary of responses on applications for a supplementary badger disease control licence
Updated 25 May 2022
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/bovine-tb-comment-on-an-application-for-a-supplementary-badger-disease-control-licence-february-2022/outcome/summary-of-responses-on-applications-for-a-supplementary-badger-disease-control-licence
As part of the supplementary badger disease control licence application process, Natural England invited members of the public to provide information on issues that may be relevant to its licensing decisions.
Opportunity to Comment period
Natural England has run the Opportunity to Comment (OTC) over the last 10 years in counties across the High, Edge and Low Risk Areas of England where a licence application has been submitted.
Public notices were published in the local press and advertised on the GOV.UK website[footnote 1]. Responses to previous OTCs are available at: http://www.gov.uk/search/policy-papers-and- consultations.
Summary of responses
Natural England has received applications for a supplementary badger disease control licence in 2022 to prevent the spread of bovine tuberculosis in cattle. This licence is for areas that have completed a 4-year intensive cull. The public were able to comment on how badger control in their area might affect their livelihood or daily activities.
Table 1: Summary of responses for each county
| County | Responses received |
|---|---|
| Cheshire | 1 |
| Cornwall | 1 |
| Devon | 1 |
| Gloucestershire | 2 |
| Shropshire | 7 |
| Somerset | 4 |
| Staffordshire | 1 |
General themes
The following general themes were raised by respondents:
- Business and tourism (3 responses). Respondents believed that badger control could negatively impact visitor numbers and local services.
- Mental Health and Safety (5 responses). Respondents have highlighted impacts badger control will have on their mental health and concern over armed contractors operating in the area.
- Vaccination (2 responses). Respondents highlighted vaccination as an alternative control method.
- Ecological Impact (2 responses). Respondents expressed concerns about the impact on other wildlife species. Respondents also expressed concerns about the effectiveness of the policy, value for money, and impact on the spread of bovine tuberculosis.
- Biosecurity (3 responses). Respondents highlighted biosecurity on farms needs to improve.
Conclusion
Natural England will notify applicants of any relevant responses related to their area. Prior to making a licensing decision, it will also take account of relevant mitigation measures that applicants have put in place.
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https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/bovine-tb-comment-on-an-application-for-a-supplementary-badger-disease-control-licence-february-2022 ↩