Defra will not review rewetting wildfire evidence until 2027

The timetable emerged in a written answer to Kevin Hollinrake, the Conservative MP for Thirsk and Malton, published on 21 September. Defra minister Jenny Riddell-Carpenter confirmed that the review promised under commitment 77 of the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) will not be formally reported until next year’s annual progress report, while maintaining that current evidence supports peatland restoration, including rewetting, as a way of strengthening wildfire resilience.

What did the minister say about the evidence?

“An initial scoping review will be reported on in the Environmental Improvement Plan’s annual progress report (APR) in 2027,” the minister told MPs. The answer is Defra’s first firm date for the rewetting research since the department stood by its burning rules despite fuel-load science earlier this month.

Natural England’s role in burning licences confirmed

In a companion answer to Dr Luke Evans, the Conservative MP for Hinckley and Bosworth, the minister said land managers have an important role in assessing and managing wildfire risk through proportionate wildfire management plans, and confirmed that Natural England “provides evidence-based advice on environmental impacts, habitat management and nature recovery, including burning licence applications”.

Why does the timetable matter to moor managers?

Wildfires in England and Wales have topped 1,000 for a second year running, according to National Fire Chiefs Council figures reported by the BBC, and West Yorkshire fire commander Lee Miller has called for more government funding, telling the BBC his firefighters are “extremely stretched”.

Richard Bailey, coordinator of the Peak District Moorland Group, told the BBC: “We need to look at using every tool in the toolkit – which includes re-wetting but it can also include prescribed burns and cutting and grazing.”

What happens next

The scoping review reports in the EIP annual progress report in 2027. In Wales, the government is due to answer a written question on 25 September on whether it will review the permitted burning season after this summer’s wildfires. The full written answers can be read on the UK Parliament website.