Defra are currently holding a public consultation on amending the 2021 heather and grass burning regulations. There are a number of key areas under consideration. These include the extension of the area subject to licensing to the whole of the less favoured area (LFA) and revising the depth of peat over which burning would be prohibited from 40 cm to 30 cm.
Should Defra adopt the proposed changes into legislation, this would bring a greater extent of peat soil and peatland habitat under protection from burning. This would represent a significant step towards recovering and safeguarding these habitats and the ecosystem services that they provide to the broad community, including water security. It would also represent an important step in moving the conversation forward around how we can best protect our peatlands in the context of a changing climate.
The consultation is open until 25th May, and we have published our response here for those who may wish to read it, or use our response to help inform your own.
Responses can be submitted here: Heather and Grass Burning in England - Introduction - Defra - Citizen Space or via email to: HGBConsultation@defra.gov.uk.
