Summary of responses on an application for a low risk area badger disease control licence
Updated 16 October 2024
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/bovine-tb-comment-on-an-application-for-a-low-risk-area-badger-disease-control-licence-august-2024/outcome/summary-of-responses-on-an-application-for-a-low-risk-area-badger-disease-control-licence
As part of the low risk area 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 decision.
Opportunity to comment period
Natural England has run the opportunity to comment (OTC) within the low risk area of England where a new licence application has been submitted.
Public notices were published in the local press and advertised on the GOV.UK website. Responses to previous OTCs are available at: www.gov.uk/search/policy-papers-and-consultations
Summary of responses
Natural England received an application for a low risk area badger disease control licence in Cumbria in 2024 to prevent the spread of bovine tuberculosis in cattle. The public were able to comment on how badger control in their area might affect their livelihood or daily activities.
A total of 8 eligible responses were received for the OTC that ran from 22 August 2024 to 05 September 2024. Table 1 shows a summary of responses received.
Table 1: Summary of responses for each county
| County | Responses received |
|---|---|
| Cumbria | 8 |
General themes
The following general themes were raised by respondents:
- business and tourism - respondents believed that badger control could negatively impact visitor numbers and local services, such as wildlife research and rescue centres
- ecological - respondents expressed concerns about the impact on other wildlife species
- vaccination - suggested using vaccination as an alternative to culling
- health and safety - respondents feared that the firearms and methods used in control would affect their safety and mental health
- positive - respondents expressed the benefit of control operations
Conclusion
Natural England notified the applicant of any relevant responses prior to making a licensing decision, it also takes account of relevant mitigation measures the applicant has already put in place.