2021: Government partially bans burning on peat moors
Following years of pressure from Wild Moors and other conservation organisations, the UK government introduced a law prohibiting burning of heather on deep peat. In a statement announcing the partial ban, the Secretary of State for Environment acknowledged that “burning is damaging to peatland formation” and “makes it more difficult or impossible to restore these habitats to their natural state.”
Whilst the partial ban currently applies to deep peat only, we continue to advocate for the legislation to be extended to provide a blanket ban on burning all peat moorlands.