Freedom of Information Request - Licences, Persley Den Housing Development
Date: 27 October 2025
Our ref: SIR181922/A5510933
Information Request – Licences, Persley Den Housing Development
Your Request
I would like to obtain details of any protected species licences issued by NatureScot, in particular relating to badgers, for the Persley Den Housing Development site in Aberdeen (NGR: NJ 9152209431). Specifically, I am seeking:
• The type(s) of licence issued (e.g., disturbance, sett closure, exclusion)
• The date(s) of issue and expiry
• Any associated mitigation or monitoring requirements
• Licensed activities and outcomes
• Summary of survey data, if available.’
Our Response
Following a search of the information we hold our response is below. Please note, there are no licences for the Persley Den Housing Development site in Aberdeen (NGR: NJ 91522 09431). The licenses below relate to a building close to the Persley Den Housing Development.
| The type(s) of licence issued | Badger licence Disturbance only | Badger Ecologist licence Disturbance – under | Bat licence Disturbance only |
|---|---|---|---|
| The date(s) of issue and expiry | 19/12/2019 to 31/01/2020 | 29/09/2025 to 31/10/2025 | 01/10/2025 to 31/10/2025 – Licence still active |
| Any associated mitigation or monitoring requirements | 3.1.1. An Ecological Clerk of Works (ECoW) will be on-site during all works. All construction personnel will be made aware of the presence of badgers in the general area through a tool box talks delivered by the ECoW. 3.1.2. General mitigation protocols to ensure badger welfare and reduce potential impacts of disturbance as far as reasonably possible are as follows. All construction personnel will adhere to these additional practices throughout the works; -Camera traps will be reviewed the evening before and the morning of the works to ensure no badgers are within the sett during the works. In the event that any badgers are recorded and/or suspected to be occupying the sett immediately prior to the commencement of works, all works within 20m of the sett, with the exception of nonintrusive hand works conducted under ECoW supervision, will be postponed until it can be demonstrated thatthe sett is no longer in occupation. -Works will be restricted to hours of daylight, to reduce the chance of disturbing a badger whilst using the outlier sett. -No artificial light will be directly illuminated onto the badger sett or retained vegetation (e.g. scrub, woodland) overnight. -There will be no direct or indirect interference with identified badger setts (except those permitted by the development licence). -Vehicles and/or plant not in use will not be left idling at any time. -No excavated material will be left within 30m of identified badger setts. -Where practical, plant will be securely housed within the works compound overnight. 3.1.3. It is the responsibility of the licence holder to ensure that all construction personnel are aware of the prescriptions set out in this BPP. 3.1.4. If a badger (dead or alive) or new sett is observed or suspected at any time during the Proposed Works, works must cease, and the ECoW consulted for further advice. | PRE-DEVELOPMENT 3.2 DURING WORKS General construction No works materials will be | PRE-DEVELOPMENT 3.2 DURING WORKS No machinery or |
| Licensed activities and outcomes | Disturbance - 1 outlier sett with 2 entrances | Disturbance – 3 nonbreeding outlier setts, 2 with 1 entrance & 1 with 2 entrances – Licence still valid | Disturbance of 1 Soprano pipistrelle maternity roost -Licence still in use |
| Summary of survey data, if available | Methods used were camera trapping and surrounding ground survey – 7 possible badger features/setts found – one within restricted working area. | Under Badger ecologist licence, methods used were surrounding ground survey and Camera trapping - 3 non-breeding outlier setts, 2 with 1 entrance & 1 with 2 entrances | Survey of the site included a Preliminary Roost Assessment (PRA), Ground Level Tree Assessment (GLTA) and bat activity surveys - 1 Soprano pipistrelle maternity roost |
How We Handled Your Request
We believe you have asked for environmental information as defined in the Environmental Information (Scotland Regulations 2004 (‘the EIRs’), so we are dealing with your request under those regulations. To be able to use the EIRs, we must apply an exemption under section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (‘FOISA’). The Scottish Information Commissioner’s guidance recommends that public authorities apply this exemption to environmental information and handle request under the EIRs.
If you would like to find out more about the access to information legislation, there is a guidance booklet available on the Scottish Information Commissioner’s website.
Review and Appeal
I hope this information meets your requirements, but if you are dissatisfied with how we have responded to your information request, please write to us within 40 working days explaining your concerns. You can contact us at Battleby, Redgorton, Perth, PH1 3EW or email us at [email protected]. We will carry out a review of our response and contact you with our findings within 20 working days.
If you are not satisfied following this, you can make an appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner within 6 months. The Scottish Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Scottish Information Commissioner
Kinburn Castle
Doubledykes Road
St Andrews
Fife
KY16 9DS
Telephone: 01334 464610
Yours sincerely
FOI Officer,
NatureScot
