Headline

: New Regulations Tighten Restrictions on Peatland Burning in England

Introduction: In a bid to protect England's vital peatland habitats, the UK government has unveiled new amendments to the Heather and Grass Burning Regulations. Effective from 2025, these changes aim to curb the harmful practice of burning vegetation on deep peatlands, expanding protections over a significant area of land.

What's Changing?: The Heather and Grass etc. Burning Regulations 2025 seek to prohibit burning on peat deeper than 30cm in designated Less Favoured Areas (LFAs) without a special licence. This is a significant shift from the previous regulations, which only protected peat over 40cm deep within specific conservation sites. The move expands the protected area from 246,156 to 676,628 hectares, covering more of England's deep peat regions.

Rationale: Peatlands are essential for biodiversity, carbon storage, and water quality. However, burning these ecosystems can dry them out, leading to biodiversity loss, poorer water quality, increased flood risks, and carbon emissions. The new regulations aim to promote the restoration and sustainable management of these crucial habitats, aligning with the government's environmental goals, including net-zero carbon emissions and biodiversity targets.

Licensing and Exceptions: The amendments outline specific circumstances where burning can still occur under a licence. These include conservation efforts, wildfire impact reduction, research, and educational purposes. The regulations exclude accidental fires, such as those arising from military training.

Consultation and Response: The amendments followed a public consultation, which showed broad support for the increased protections. While some land managers expressed concerns about managing vegetation without burning, the government believes the benefits to peatland ecosystems outweigh these challenges.

Impact: The estimated cost of implementing these changes is £1.3 million annually. However, the government argues that the environmental benefits justify the expense, as healthier peatlands contribute to carbon storage and flood mitigation.

Monitoring and Compliance: The new regulations will be monitored through satellite imagery and ground surveys to ensure compliance. Natural England will play a key role in overseeing the enforcement of these rules.

Conclusion: By tightening regulations on peatland burning, the UK government demonstrates its commitment to environmental conservation and sustainable land management. These efforts are crucial for protecting England's natural heritage and achieving broader climate and biodiversity targets.