Thread by @guyshrubsole

Last week, the Govt said it will legislate to ban moorland burning - but its proposals contain many loopholes.

So, who owns the grouse moors that may be exempt from this burning ban?

First up: the Queen's grouse moor in North Yorkshire! (1/n)

https://twitter.com/guyshrubsole/status/1355231816999972865?s=20

(2/n) In fact, most of the grouse moor estates in the North York Moors look like they'll be exempted from a burning ban - because, despite all being designated sites (SSSIs, SACs, & SPAs), Natural England considers the peat here to be 'shallow' rather than 'deep'.

(3/n) As an aside, the Queen's grouse moor at Goathland was the scene of illegal raptor persecution last summer. In the wake of this, the Duchy of Lancaster suggested it might turn its back on grouse shooting in future. Will it voluntarily stop burning? channel4.com/news/is-queen-…

(4/n) Outside of the North York Moors, there are also a number of other grouse moor estates that look like they could escape the Govt's burning ban - because they're not designated as SSSIs / SACs / SPAs.

This is despite them still containing lots of carbon-rich peat.

(5/n) One of the likely exempt estates in the Yorkshire Dales is the East Arkengarthdale Estate, owned by a firm registered in the tax haven of Liechtenstein, and thought to belong to a Swedish businessman:

(6/n) Another estate that might escape the burning ban is Knipe Moor in the North Pennines, belonging to Baron Hothfield.

Knipe Moor is all deep peat, but because it's not classed as an SSSI (or SAC or SPA) it's not covered by the ban. Madness - bad for climate & nature.

(7/n) Another example of an estate likely exempt from the burning ban: the Lilburn Estate in Northumberland, owned by the founder of Persimmon Homes. Owns a grouse moor, most of it deep peat. It's also a SSSI - but because it's not *also* an SAC or SPA, it's exempt... 🙄

(8/n) One last example of a grouse moor that's likely exempt from the govt's burning ban: Buckton Moor, on the edge of the Peak District.

It's not a designated site, but it contains a lot of deep peat - and it's where the massive Saddleworth Moor fire happened in 2018!

(9/n) And of course, any grouse moor estate can try to avoid the burning ban by applying to the Secretary of State to burn moorland for purposes of 'conservation' or 'wildfire prevention'. This is a nonsense; healthy peat bogs need water, not fire.

(10/10) This thread gives some examples of the glaring loopholes in the Govt's moorland burning ban, and some of the estates that could benefit from its loose drafting.

@ZacGoldsmith please get rid of these loopholes - for the sake of the climate & upland wildlife!