The petition of residents of Tatton,
Declares that the vital importance of peatland is recognised from an environmental perspective in terms of both carbon storage and unique biodiversity, and measures implemented to protect it from environmental harm and impose specific responsibility on strategic planning authorities to protect peatland environments.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to require a special development strategy in relation to peatlands as part of any new planning framework and legislation.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Esther McVey, Official Report, 16 September 2025; Vol. 772, c. 1465.]
[P003115]
Observations from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mary Creagh):
The Government recognise the importance of our peatlands and the need to protect them for future generations. Peatland restoration mitigates climate change, increases biodiversity, and reduces the risk of flooding. Our recent ban of burning heather and grass on peat deeper than 30 cm is protecting an area the size of Devon. To demonstrate our commitment, we will invest £85 million in peat outcomes between 2026 and 2030.
There are existing protections in planning policy for irreplaceable habitats, which includes peatland habitats like blanket bogs and lowland fens. Impacts on these habitats from development is only permitted in exceptional circumstances.
Local nature recovery strategies are being prepared across England, led by appointed “responsible authorities” who are working closely with local partners. Each strategy will set priorities for nature recovery and propose where actions to achieve these priorities would be particularly beneficial. This is expected to include proposals for peatland restoration in areas with degraded peat soils.
The Government will not be producing any spatial development strategies itself. SDSs will be prepared by strategic authorities, specifically combined authorities, combined county authorities, county councils and unitary authorities either individually or in defined groupings.
Spatial development strategies will be required to take account of any local nature recovery strategy that relates to any part of the strategy area, including any proposals for peatland restoration. They would also be free to set policy in relation to the protection of peatlands if they felt that it was of strategic importance to their area.