We Need Your Help: Let’s Get to the Bottom of What’s Really Going On

We’ve all heard the promises. The 2021 England Peat Action Plan laid out a roadmap full of well-meaning commitments from statutory quangos - commitments to work in partnership with landowners, make mutually beneficial decisions, empower those on the ground, and develop practical, transparent guidance.

We were also promised detailed peatland mapping, clear metrics for progress, and regular stakeholder meetings - all of which were supposed to ensure that moorland management policy was based on real-world input and practical experience.

But here we are, years down the line, and the reality feels very different.

Instead of collaboration, there’s confusion. Instead of transparency, we face silence. And instead of being empowered, many of you feel increasingly sidelined by decisions made behind closed doors – by nameless officials in windowless offices who have little understanding of what it actually takes to manage these unique landscapes.

How You Can Help

If we’re going to get to the bottom of what’s really going on, why these commitments aren’t being met, who’s making the decisions, and what data is actually being used, we need to start asking questions. And the best tool we have right now is the Freedom of Information (FOI) request.

We're looking to build a network of individuals who are willing to spend just 10 minutes a week submitting simple, well-crafted FOI requests. The more requests we submit, the clearer the picture we’ll get of how decisions are being made and whether the commitments made in the England Peat Action Plan are being honoured.

If you can spare a few minutes a week and want to make a real difference in holding public bodies to account, we want to hear from you.

This is our land, our future, and our right to know what’s happening. Let’s shine a light on the decision-making process. We must ensure that the voices of those who live and work on the land are not just heard, but respected.

To get involved, email us at berni@moorlandassociation.org. We’ll provide you with everything you need.

Together, let’s uncover the truth and take back our seat at the table.