Controlled Burning

Discover the key changes in the Heather and Grass Management Code 2025, from peatland licensing to new rules on burning, cutting, and planning.

A £26m wildfire has scarred the North York Moors, exposing the rising cost of poor land management and the urgent need for science-led prevention.

Peatland management is complex: burning and cutting both carry risks and benefits. Finding balance is key to carbon storage, water, wildlife and rural life.

Natural England denies giving wildfire safety advice in legal letters yet publicly promotes its stance on wildfire risk. Our blog exposes this double standard.

A side-by-side comparison of the York Review and Natural England's Evidence Review on heather burning exposes flaws, revealing bias in how NE present evidence on burning.

A new analysis has exposed serious flaws in Natural England’s official evidence review on prescribed heather burning.

Peatlands store vast carbon, but calling them climate “saviours” is misleading. A new review shows why nuanced, site-specific evidence matters for policy.

A major review finds no solid evidence that prescribed heather burning causes biodiversity loss, highlighting mixed, context-dependent impacts on UK peatlands.

A major review finds no robust evidence that prescribed heather burning causes flooding, exposing flaws in studies and highlighting the need for better research.

A major review finds no robust evidence linking prescribed heather burning to water quality issues, citing confounding factors, contradictions, and weak methods.

A major review questions the claim that the UK holds 75% of global heather moorland, highlighting uncertainties but stressing its global significance.

A major review finds no solid evidence that stopping prescribed burning makes peat wetter or reduces heather, urging site-specific, long-term research instead.