Campaigners say the animals — descended from an albino badger called Alberto, rescued in 2015 after being attacked by its own sett — now inhabit Millground meadow beside the River Brit. They argue the quiet habitat would be destroyed by proposals to build 82 homes, two lodges and a new bridge to help fund the restoration of the Grade I‑listed Elizabethan mansion, which burned down in 2017.

The Dorset Natural Heritage Initiative warns the development would “bulldoze” a fragile environment that became a haven for wildlife during lockdown, supporting species from barn owls to otters.

But the Parnham Park estate disputes the claims. Senior project manager Ed Grant says surveys show “zero evidence” of badgers near the site and insists the only confirmed albino badger in the area died years ago. He accused campaigners of spreading misinformation and refusing dialogue.

Developers say the scheme, inspired by Poundbury, has been designed to sit “sympathetically” within the landscape.