top of page
All Posts


Natural England Must Stop Blocking Moorland Management
Natural England has become the enemy of common sense. Instead of backing managers who want to improve their ground, it ties them up in red tape and demands they wait for science to catch up.

Andrew Gilruth
6 days ago3 min read


VIDEO: Heather Burning Regulations Update & Guidance
We hosted an online meeting on 16th September to discuss the government's new burning restrictions, watch it in full here.

Rob Beeson
Sep 171 min read


Wildfires, Waste, and Weak Oversight: Our Letter to The Times
Natural England’s cost-blind decisions face Treasury scrutiny. Without proving value for money, reform - or even abolition - could soon follow.

Andrew Gilruth
Sep 161 min read


Natural England’s Evidence Review on Heather Burning: A Masterclass in Manipulation
Natural England’s heather burning review buries key evidence and cherry-picks results - risking flawed policy built on bias, not science.

Andrew Gilruth
Sep 153 min read


Curlew Survival Hinges on Predator Control: Our Letter to The Guardian
Curlews are vanishing fast. Predator control proves vital, yet delay and denial risk their extinction. Saving Britain’s curlews means acting now.

Andrew Gilruth
Sep 151 min read


Yorkshire Post Puts Wildfire Crisis Under the Spotlight: Calls Grow for Action, Evidence and Reform
The Yorkshire Post has devoted extensive coverage to the devastating wildfire that tore through ten square miles of the North York Moors this summer - the worst in over 20 years.

Rob Beeson
Sep 151 min read


Heather Burning Rules - Clarification on Existing Agreements
Defra clarifies heather burning rules: existing consents remain valid, but new peat regulations risk delays, confusion and an early-season burning ban.

Andrew Gilruth
Sep 153 min read


Hen Harrier Survival: Understanding the Numbers Behind the Headlines
Hen Harrier survival is often misrepresented. This blog examines an RSPB study, exposing inflated claims and highlighting the real situation.

Andrew Gilruth
Sep 123 min read


Natural England Must Not Be Both Judge and Jury on Moorland Regulation
Trust in Natural England rests on a simple principle: it must provide independent, impartial evidence to government. Yet recent publications show a worrying blurring of roles that risks undermining this trust.

Andrew Gilruth
Sep 122 min read


Heather Burning Rules: Defra Creates a Shambles
Defra’s rush to rewrite the heather burning rules is already descending into chaos. Land managers have been left in the dark and even its own civil servants are confused.

Andrew Gilruth
Sep 112 min read


MA Handbook: Applying for a Defra Licence to Burn on Deep Peat
Following the government's decision to further restrict the burning of vegetation on England's upland peat, we have compiled a useful handbook to help guide land managers through the process of applying for a licence to burn on deep peat.

Rob Beeson
Sep 111 min read


Smoke from Canadian Wildfires Reached Europe, Killing Tens of Thousands
New research has revealed the global health impacts of the record-breaking wildfires that swept through Canada in 2023, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths across North America and Europe.

Rob Beeson
Sep 111 min read
bottom of page