Cliff Parade road and pavement closure

Cliff Parade’s southside pavement between Leigh Hill and Avenue Road and a small section of westbound lane between the junction of Cliff Parade/Sea Reach and 13 Cliff Parade in Leigh-on-Sea will be closed until further notice.

This follows on from a recent survey which found concerns for public safety due to the ongoing deterioration of the road and pavement caused largely by the presence of a badger sett underneath. The badgers have undercut the cliff which has caused instability and the council has not been able to carry out repairs because approval is required from Natural England to close the sett, which is not currently possible due to badger hibernation.

The southside pavement closure is now in place on Cliff Parade from its junction with Avenue Road to its junction with Leigh Hill and pedestrians are asked to use the path on the northern side of Cliff Parade, which will remain open.

The lane closure will be in place from Monday 13 February. Cliff Parade will be under traffic signal control for the duration of the closure. Access in and out of Seaview Road onto Cliff Parade will also be suspended to ease congestion.

Any other planned highway works in the area will be altered to accommodate for the lane closure and to minimise disruption.

Cllr Steven Wakefield, cabinet member for highways, transport and parking, said: “Public safety is our number one priority and until we can make safe and stabilise the road and pavement, the closure will have to remain in place.

“The council has not been able to carry out the necessary repairs to the road and pavement because the area is on top of a badger sett, and whilst we have been working with Natural England for two years to try and move the sett, the badgers have shown a great reluctance to move on.

“From March we can apply for a permit with Natural England and if approved, we are confident that we have a plan that will see the badgers safely moved on and work to repair the road and pavement start.

“We apologise for any inconvenience; updates will be provided on the council’s social media accounts.”

Darren Parker, from essex badger protection group, said: “Badgers have legal protection through the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 which prohibits any action which damages or blocks a badger sett, or harms or disturbs a badger whilst occupying its sett unless a specific licence is held from Natural England. Any unlicensed action carries a maximum penalty of 12 months imprisonment and/or a fine of up to £40,000. 

“Badgers are social animals, living in close knit groups usually referred to as "clans". Each clan has its own territory, usually containing a number of setts although urban clan territories are often quite small with fewer setts - sometimes just one or two. Whilst they are generally peaceful and shy animals, badgers can be territorial toward members of another clan. As a consequence, it is not possible for them to be trapped and taken to an alternative site. Suitable release sites are difficult to find, and badgers will struggle to adapt to another territory they're unfamiliar with, especially if it's already part of another clan territory.

“Setts are therefore closed by fitting one-way doors to the entrances, effectively evicting the badgers by allowing them to leave but not re-enter. At the same time, the sett is usually protected with mesh to prevent the badgers digging back in elsewhere. Badgers are then left to find a more suitable home elsewhere.

“Works of this nature are usually restricted to a period between 1st July and 30th November each year. This is because badger cubs are usually born in February each year and remain vulnerable until they are fully weaned and self-sufficient.”