Under new proposals, the Government will ban the burning of heather on deep peat across an extra 146,000 hectares of land in England, increasing the amount protected by 65%.
The Government say this will ‘improve air quality in villages, towns and cities, help deliver manifesto commitments to reach Net Zero by 2050 and expand wildlife-rich habitat.’
Many heather moorlands in England sit on top of peat bogs, which store carbon very effectively. When it’s burned, the fire can dry out and degrade the underlying peat, which can cause it to emit carbon, rather than store it.
Healthy peatlands also help with flood prevention by storing water, but burning them makes them less effective.
Under legislation introduced in 2021, vegetation burning in protected sites, such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest, and on areas of deep peat over 40cm may only be undertaken with a licence.
The Government is proposing to refine the existing licencing system whereby applicants need to successfully explain why alternative methods have not or would not work and show how they intend to move the land away from the need to burn in future in order to receive a licence.
It is also proposed that the definition of deep peat is reduced from 40cm to 30cm.
The area protected by current legislation is 222,000 hectares, under the new rules this will increase to 368,000 hectares, an area equivalent to the combined size of size of Greater London, Greater Manchester and West Midlands.
There is a total of 677,250 hectares of deep peat in England, 54% of which will now be protected.
In 2023, Cllr Tom Hunt, the leader of Sheffield City Council, wrote to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Steve Barclay asking for a ban on the practice of burning on the moors around the city.
The practice of burning around Sheffield exists for the benefit of grouse shooters. Burning the heather down produces younger roots which are more palatable to grouse and has the additional ‘benefit’ of reducing cover for those creatures that prey on the grouse.
Cllr Hunt said at the time: ‘Moorland burning does huge damage to our uplands. It destroys biodiversity, increases flood risk and reduces air quality. Air pollution kills. Fires have an immediate impact on hospital admissions and A&E attendances.’
Announcing the new proposals, Nature Minister Mary Creagh said: ‘Our peatlands are this country’s Amazon Rainforest – home to our most precious wildlife, storing carbon and reducing flooding risk.
‘The UK has 13% of the world’s blanket bog. A rare global habitat, it is a precious part of our national heritage, and that is why we‘re announcing a consultation on these measures to ensure deep peat is better protected.
‘These changes will benefit communities by improving air and water quality, and protect homes and businesses from flood damage, which supports economic stability and security under our Plan for Change.’