10/09/2025
🚨 And so it begins…..
On week 1 of the job, Labour’s new DEFRA Ministerial team have ignored warnings from the National Fire Chiefs Council, the NFU and land managers and have chosen to rubber-stamp new proposals on banning controlled heather burning.
Farmers, land mangers, gamekeepers, our firefighters, and others all know that proactive, controlled burning is key to reducing the size and risk of natural wildfires. This year alone there have been over 30 moorland wild fires, notably within the Peak District, South Pennines, North of Scotland and most recently in the North York Moors. They have resulted in huge devastation to wildlife, the environment, our precious peatland and rural businesses.
The NFU warned the government that their proposals risk: “significantly increasing the risk of wildfire in upland areas, putting people, livestock and the environment in danger.”
The National Fire Chiefs Council warned the government their proposals: “could inadvertently lead to increased fire loads and the risk of larger, more intense wildfires” and “compromise Fire and Rescue Service preparedness and response, increasing the danger to firefighters”.
But these voices have been ignored.
Labour’s controlled burning ban illustrates a deep disregard and total naivety associated with improving the health of our precious peatlands and moorland habitats.
The Government have entirely failed to understand the choice between managed manmade burning, or huge, uncontrollable and dangerous wildfires. Instead, they have pursued a naturalist agenda devoid of the practical realities of managing these habitats, and have chosen to be blindsided by ideological agendas, rather than practical realities.
Once again DEFRA, under this Labour Government, have ignored the advice of external industry experts, including the NFU and National Fire Chiefs Council, and instead listened to their in-house team at Natural England. We seriously need to look at how Natural England is offered so much sway in the department at the expense of alternative viewpoints.
We should not be fooled by the token promise of licenses to continue burning on the peatland affected by today’s announcement. In making this decision the Government have shown they do not believe burning is a necessary tool to control wildfires. Given that licenses are only to be granted in “exceptional circumstances” it seems unlikely that any would be given for the normal, but necessary, pattern of management.
Make no mistake. Today’s decision shows that Labour’s attack on farmers and the countryside will continue as planned, whoever is in charge.
📸 North Yorkshire Fire and Resue Service
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