Issue - items at meetings - Response to a Report Request on Badger Management

Report of the Assistant Director, Property & Design (copy attached).

1.     That a ban on badger culling be resisted, and that the authority relies on the existing statutory controls in place.

2.     That it be agreed that, should national legislation be revised, or the Government issue further guidance in relation to disease control to reduce the spread of TB, the authority should review its policy in light of any further advice or guidance.

26.1       The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Assistant Director, Property & Design, which had been produced in response to a letter request by Councillor Duncan, regarding a proposal for the council to introduce a ban on badger culling on farmland owned by Brighton & Hove City Council.  The report considered the current legal framework, the problems badgers can cause and the implications of a ban and the current political debate (for copy see minute book).

26.2       The Cabinet Member expressed disappointment that Councillor Duncan was not in attendance at the meeting to hear the response to his letter.

26.3       The Cabinet Member stressed that the council was currently following government guidance in relation to badgers and he could see no reason to alter this policy.

26.4       The Opposition Spokesperson expressed the view that he would be sorry to see badgers culled but accepted the findings of the report.   He queried whether badgers were much of a problem in Brighton & Hove.  There were several badger setts in the area where he lived and the farmer said they were not a problem.

26.5       The representative from Smiths Gore explained that no-body knew the extent of TB in badgers or which areas were more affected than others.  The disease was more likely to affect diary cattle as they lived longer than beef cattle, and TB took a long time to gestate.

26.6       Councillor Young asked if there were any cases of TB within the cities boundaries.  The representative from Smiths Gore replied that there was not any data as to how many animals had TB.  There were no diary cows among the cities commercial herds.  However, the situation could change in the next few years, should farmers revert to dairy production.

26.7       RESOLVED – That having considered the information and the reasons set out in the report, the Cabinet Member accepted the following recommendations:

(1)            That a ban on badger culling be resisted, and that the authority relies on the existing statutory controls in place.

(2)            That it be agreed that, should national legislation be revised, or the Government issue further guidance in relation to disease control to reduce the spread of TB, the authority should review its policy in light of any further advice or guidance.