MULTIPLE “one-way gates” are set to be installed in an effort to clear badgers from unstable cliffs to allow urgent safety work to finally get underway.

The £2million scheme to stop Cliff Parade, in Leigh, collapsing, has been hit with a series of delays after burrowing badgers were found at the site – potentially destabilising the area even further.

Southend Council is now applying for a fresh licence from Natural England to put a series of one-way gates up at the entrances to the badger sett, allowing the animals to leave but blocking them from re-entering.

Labour councillor responsible for the environment, Lydia Hyde, said this is the best and least invasive way to move the badgers and secure the road.

Previous attempts to move the badgers using similar gates have been disrupted by “human intervention”, and Ms Hyde warned that failure this time will force the council to take “more invasive measures”.

She said: “We are putting one-way gates on the entrances of their setts. This means when they leave, they can’t get back in, so when they try to return, they cannot.

“Our concern is any human intervention, which caused issues last year. So if that happens, we will need to look at invasive and forceful displacement.

“We don’t want that, Natural England don’t want that, and this is a nice way for the badgers to be moved along. Once they go through the gates, we believe they will relocate to a different existing sett lower down the slope. If they move there, the situation will be fine.”

Ms Hyde added that she hopes to encourage people not to interfere with the process, backed by Natural England, by putting up more signage in the area.

“This is the better approach, we need better signage in the area and we need these gates to be up for 21 days,” she said.

“After that point, once we know they have left, we can fill the tunnels in and return to stability.”

A council spokesman said: “Subject to obtaining the licence, we will take the necessary steps to ensure the badgers have vacated the area. Once we confirm that the badgers have moved, we can commence work to establish the extent of the repairs required.

“The footway and road will then be repaired and reopened.”