The Labour government has been accused of ignoring farmers and rural experts after announcing a sweeping ban on controlled burning across England’s peatlands, a decision countryside groups warn could worsen, not reduce, the risk of devastating wildfires.
Defra confirmed that from 30 September the restrictions will extend to 676,628 hectares of deep peat, more than tripling the current area under ban.
Labour Ministers presented the move as a cornerstone of their “Plan for Change”, claiming it would protect air quality, restore habitats and lock in carbon.
Ministers Talk, Farmers Ignored
Environment Minister Mary Creagh hailed peatlands as “England’s Amazon Rainforest”, insisting burning “releases harmful smoke” and “damages precious ecosystems”. She said tighter rules would help restore and rewet upland landscapes, making them “naturally protected from wildfires”.
But her words were met with disbelief in the countryside, where farmers and gamekeepers, the people responsible for day-to-day land management, say their experience has been brushed aside.
“This government talks a lot about listening, but when it comes to the countryside, they refuse to hear the voices of those who know the land best,” said Adrian Blackmore of the Countryside Alliance. He branded the decision “grossly irresponsible”, warning it will leave upland Britain dangerously exposed.
Controlled Burning: A Proven Safeguard
For generations, gamekeepers and farmers have carried out small, low-intensity “cool burns” to manage heather moorland. The practice removes old vegetation, creates natural firebreaks, and allows new growth that supports wildlife and peat-building sphagnum moss.
Advocates argue the science is clear: when controlled burning is stopped, vast tracts of land turn into fuel for catastrophic wildfires. The 2018 Saddleworth Moor inferno and the repeated blazes on Marsden Moor are often cited as examples of what happens when management is abandoned.
“A Staggering Lack of Understanding”
Rural groups say ministers have been swayed by political posturing and environmental lobbying rather than evidence from the ground.
“They’re making decisions in Westminster meeting rooms, not out here on the moors where livelihoods and safety are at stake,” one Peak District gamekeeper told this paper. “The government should be working with us, not against us.”
The Countryside Alliance warned that banning controlled burning could cost communities dearly, through bigger wildfires, worse air quality, and loss of biodiversity. Blackmore added: “Given the horrendous devastation caused by wildfires in recent months, this move comes at an incredibly sensitive time for moorland communities.”
A Policy Written in London, Not the Uplands
The expansion of the ban redefines “deep peat” from 40cm to 30cm depth, bringing even more land under restriction. While Defra says it will allow licences for “exceptional circumstances”, rural organisations fear red tape will make them unworkable.
For many, the row underlines a wider problem: a government detached from the realities of the land. Critics say ministers are more concerned with headlines about “England’s Amazon” than with listening to the farmers and gamekeepers whose expertise has protected moorlands for centuries.
As the policy takes effect, the countryside is left asking whether this government understands the landscapes it claims to protect – or whether its actions will leave Britain’s uplands as one giant tinderbox.
