Residents in a seaside town are desperate for local leaders to solve a badger crisis, over fears that failure to sort the problem by the end of the month will cause travel chaos into next year.
The people of Mablethorpe have had to put up with a collapsed road after badgers burrowed underneath it.
Specialists dug into Seaholme Road, which leads from a campsite out to the seafront, to inspect the tunnel the badgers had dug, when they discovered another tunnel.
Lincolnshire County Council’s Highways Department has now been told by Natural England that it has until the end of this month to solve the badger problem in Mablethorpe, after which badger mating season will begin and the road will have to remain closed until July 2025.
Councillor Richard Davies, executive member for highways, told Lincolnshire Live: “Whilst the badgers are being very well accommodated, Mablethorpe road users are having to bear the brunt of some serious disruption in their area. It feels very unfair.”
Des Barnett, a resident for three years, told the outlet that the works are taking place right outside his front door.
He said: “I have to admit I’ve never seen a badger but other residents say they have. We had the first lot of traffic lights up on August 4.
“The traffic lights were more inconvenient than it is now. We’re allowed in and out through the barriers and in the evening we can move them ourselves as long as we put them back.
“Having said that, something’s got to be done with the badgers, I believe. There’s no natural predator for badgers so I don’t know what the answer is. I don’t want anything untoward to happen to them but I’m a believer that they’ve got to be controlled in certain areas.
“The road collapsed and was like a little sinkhole. It’s a dangerous corner so the work had to be done.”
Highways boss Councillor Davies said: “The frustration with getting these badger works sorted is growing. We are working as hard as we can to restore this road so that the people of Mablethorpe can get on with their daily lives in the way they expect.”
He added: “Because everything has to be completed by the end of the month, we can’t try a temporary traffic light fix to ease traffic flow because if it doesn’t work and the badgers’ damage can’t be fixed quickly enough, then there is the risk that the road won’t be usable until next July.
“We can’t have that for Mablethorpe. It’s not the road user’s fault that this has happened and we need to get this issue sorted out, even with all the time restrictions that Natural England have placed on the works.
“I want to express our thanks to everyone affected by this so far. Your patience and understanding of what we’re trying to do in order to have the road usable and open again for December is very much appreciated. We will get this work completed as quickly as we possibly can.”
