The GWCT would urge all supporters with an interest in managed heather burning to contribute to the consultation on Defra’s proposed amendments to The Heather and Grass etc. Burning (England) Regulations 2021.
Proposed amendments to the regulations include:
- Expanding restrictions to all LFAs.
- Redefining ‘Deep Peat’ as 30cm.
- Removing cool burning as a legitimate management option.
It is particularly important to give details of any experience you have of the current licensing process, the potential economic impacts of the proposed changes, and the impact of greater fuel load on the destructive power of wildfires due to lack of heather management. Your contribution will complement the GWCT’s submission of the scientific evidence, which we will publish shortly.
In her recent blog Wildfires – a recipe for disaster. Episode 2, GWCT Policy Officer Henrietta Appleton argued that this new consultation reflects the Climate Change Committee and Natural England’s belief that a complete ban is necessary to minimise carbon emissions and to facilitate peatland restoration.
However, both practical experience and scientific evidence suggests that moves to further restrict managed burns will have the opposite effect. Bringing an end to managed burning will increase the risk of wildfire taking hold and releasing vast quantities of carbon.
Climate change will make hotter, drier weather in spring and summer increasingly likely, and warmer, wetter winters will increase the vegetation. In addition, the current trend among environmental NGO landowners such as the National Trust and RSPB for reducing grazing, cutting and controlled burning is increasing the fuel available and threatening the habitat and wildlife for which they are responsible. In this context, it is no surprise that this year has already seen a record area burned by wildfire. If we want to reverse this trend, we should be doing more management not less.
The consultation can be found here. The closing date is 25 May 2025.
For more details, visit our past blogs on the subject: