A key challenge was the discovery of an outlier badger sett adjacent to the works area, which had not been recorded before the planning application. MKO liaised with the relevant environmental authority and local biodiversity ranger to agree the licensing and mitigation requirements. Before a temporary closure licence could be granted, the main sett had to be located through extensive surveys of a large adjoining woodland. Once identified, MKO supported the temporary closure, established the required buffer zone and monitored the sett before, during and after the exclusion works. Highly disturbing activities were scheduled outside the badger breeding season. Following the reopening of the sett, MKO submitted a detailed monitoring report to the environmental authority.