Controlled Burning

Natural England’s 2025 evidence review on managed burning ignored key findings from the James Hutton Institute, overlooking vital UK data on wildfire risk and fuel load.

Defra’s legislation to treble the land on which prescribed burns are effectively banned creates immense risks to rural lives and livelihoods. We are fighting it with huge energy and on all fronts.

The Moorland Association is taking legal action against Defra’s new burning regulations, warning they increase wildfire danger and put rural lives at risk.

A 2023 James Hutton Institute study shows Scotland’s uplands face rising wildfire risk, with managed burning vital to reduce fuel build-up and protect communities.

Freedom of Information has revealed Natural England’s forgotten ADAS Report, evidence showing that balanced, well-managed burning protects uplands and heritage.

Natural England’s selective submission to Defra hid key evidence about heritage protection in the uplands, revealing troubling omissions about England’s past.

Freedom of Information reveals Natural England’s recent blog on heather burning omitted key evidence and context, raising concerns over transparency and trust in policy.

In a robust column for The Telegraph, Lord Botham has pointed out how the government's new restrictions on heather burning will inevitably lead to more wildfires.

Natural England contradicts its own remit by advising on wildfire risk, inadvertently backing key points in the Moorland Association’s case against burning bans.

A group of moorland scientists in the Future Landscapes Forum say a government proposal to ban prescribed vegetation burning on deep peat risks serious ecological and wildfire consequences.

Some public servants are undermining moorland management and trust in democracy. This blog calls for fairness, accountability, and respect for lived experience.

With the online application tool now live for land managers needing to burn on deep peat, we hosted a meeting on Wednesday 1st October to discuss the licence application process.