Article from the Badger Trust Group Update – 18/5/2025
Planning Bill Breaking News
Controversial Badger Protection Law Change Approved Despite Warnings from MPs and Conservationists.
Proposed amendments to the Protection of Badgers Act (PoBA) were pushed through a Planning and Infrastructure Committee session yesterday, despite serious concerns from MPs and Badger Trust that the changes would significantly weaken legal protections and pave the way for the killing of badgers under vague development criteria.
The Planning and Infrastructure Committee discussed Section 6 of the bill, which includes proposed amendments to the Protection of Badgers Act. Minister Matthew Pennycook was present and spent most of the afternoon reiterating the same point: any amendments that would strengthen protections for nature were dismissed, because the proposals in the bill would not harm nature.
Gideon Amos introduced Badger Trust’s submission raising significant concerns: “This is a significant change in law… from a power to interfere with badgers to a power to KILL them. ‘Overriding public interest’ is vague and could be justified by any particular development.
Lewis Cocking, the MP for Broxbourne, questioned the minister about the necessity of the amendments to the PoBA, highlighting that they already had powers under that act. The government claims this is about “operability” under the Nature Restoration Fund – whatever that means! – but why introduce the word “kill” at all, when developers already have legal powers to move or exclude badgers?
“Why are badgers being singled out for hostile treatment?” MPs across parties expressed concern.
All six opposition MPs voted to protect badgers when the committee voted, but the Labour MPs, under strong party discipline on this bill, voted in favour. This resulted in a loss by nine votes to six.
Read the full details and our response >
We need to act now. Get involved to speak up for badgers…
- Share our campaign messages through your networks and social media. Download New Campaign Graphics >
- Encourage your members to write to their MPs, using our Template, urging them to oppose this harmful proposal. The more constituents that contact them, the better!
- Raise awareness locally in newsletters, community events, or meetings.
Let’s not let 2025 be the year we lost legal protection for badgers.
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