In his initial comments, external on Tuesday, Waltham said: “It is frankly outrageous that protections affecting a handful of badgers during mating season mean six months of total inaction on a failing road
“An entire village is left to live with danger, disruption and the slow erosion of its local services.
“We respect the importance of protecting wildlife, but the current situation has tipped completely out of balance.”
NE said the badger breeding season ran from 1 December to 30 June, during which time sows were pregnant, giving birth or raising cubs underground, making them highly vulnerable to disturbance.
However, the spokesperson added: “In exceptional circumstances, we can grant extensions to licences. We will be discussing next steps with North Lincolnshire Council in the new year.”
On Wednesday, Waltham said he looked forward to working with NE in the new year.