Burrowing badgers increase Southend road collapse risk

Burrowing badgers are further destabilising a road at risk of collapse above unstable cliffs, it has emerged

Burrowing badgers are further destabilising a road at risk of collapse above unstable cliffs, it has emerged.

The revelation follows a Southend Council highways report about the worsening situation in Leigh.

In February the council closed some stretches of pavement at Cliff Parade and Sea Reach after checks found "ongoing deterioration".

The council's cabinet will discuss funding plans for the road on Monday.

The report to the council's decision-making body, the cabinet, said: "Highways and infrastructure delays have been incurred on both the Cliff Parade cliff slip and Belton Way East cliff slip projects as a result of badgers continuing to access the site."

The cabinet meets next week to discuss its current £10.7m deficit. It will be asked to mothball £2m in funding planned to deal with the cliff slip issues over to 2024-25 while the badger problem is dealt with.

Burrowing badgers are making the issues in Cliff Parade worse

However, the delay in funding being put into action could put motorists in danger according to Lib Dem councillor for Leigh on Sea, Peter Wexham.

"They've got to sort the badgers out before they can do anything," Mr Wexham said, "The cliffs are moving and the more they move it's undermining the road.

"They are supposed to get the right people in to sort it out rather than just the council but they haven't done and haven't managed to get the badgers out of the way.

"Whether they are just trying to block them off and stop them going in there or leaving them to run around I don't know."