‘It will take a death before wildfire policy is changed’ warns Moorland Association

MPs are becoming uncomfortable with the government narrative over wildfires and land-management, but it will still take someone to die before policy is changed, warned The Moorland Association.

Last year, in the aftermath of the Langdale Forest and Fylingdales Moor fire, which required farmers, game-keepers and fire crews from all over the country to put it out, Andrew Gilruth said Defra and Natural England would not review its policies until someone died tackling a wildfire.

A year on, and despite wildfires currently burning across the UK from The Cairngorms to Suffolk, he says it is still the case.

The chief executive of The Moorland Association told The Yorkshire Post: “It is absolutely the case and it has been the case in other countries - Australia, Spain, Greece, France and Portugal. It was not until people were killed that policies were changed.

“It is damning of the environmental regulation in this country that it is what will have to happen here.

“People advising these policies (controlled burning) are making it dangerous. Who will be held accountable in the event of a death? They have lovely ideas but who will be responsible for the car crash when it happens?”

While Fylingdales Moor was still burning last year, Defra said deep peat would now be considered at depths of 30cms rather than 40cms and controlled burning was banned unless a licence was obtained.

It meant an area equivalent to the size of Devon would be exempt from controlled burning as a land-management tactic, with re-wetting being the preferred option, despite prolonged drought.

Mr Gilruth said not one licence has been issued as the application process is too difficult. He also queried the process a landowner has to use to prevent public access when wildfire risk is high.

He said: “Wildfire is still a political orphan - nobody owns it.

"The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) looks after the fire service, Defra is making restrictions, Natural England has no statutory duty for wildfires at all and The Met Office has a fire severity index which decides when rights of way will be closed.

“If a landowner wants to close a moor or a right of way, it has to make a request which has a decision turn-around time of six weeks, or four months for larger areas of land.

"They can only apply when the risk is extreme.”

Guidelines for this, written in 2010, have not been reviewed, argues Mr Gilruth, and the processes involved are not made public.

Alison Hume, MP for Scarborough and Whitby, has established an All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Wildfire Prevention to bring together MPs and peers from across the political spectrum to examine wildfire prevention, preparedness and recovery.

She said: “My colleagues and I want this APPG to become a strong voice for wildfire prevention and resilience, while also making the case for better support for those still living with the consequences of these disasters.”

In April EFRA launched a call for evidence into wildfires and tackling them, ahead of a committee, led by Lib Dem MP, Alistair Carmichael, which met in June to consider the response to the growing threat of wildfires.

In March, the Environmental Audit Committee held a Peatland Inquiry to assess the current state of the UK’s peatlands and government policies designed to protect them.

Mr Gilruth spoke at both and said: “We have now got a flurry of activity in parliament. EFRA has never before held an inquiry into wildfires and land management.

“MPs are not comfortable with what is going on. They are beginning to ask the questions you have been asking about re-wetting.

“Why are we putting all our cards on that? There is a lack of honesty and MPs are beginning to sense it, questions are not being answered.”

Significant changes in land-management and controlled burning policy will not happen until there is a change of government, says Mr Gilruth, but in the short term, Defra and government may be more authoritative.

For example, last month Defra stepped into a row over fears Dartmoor Ponies would face being culled.

It ruled the Ponies would be exempt from stocking rate calculations in new Environmental Management agreements, set out by Natural England, which pay farmers to limit livestock grazing.

He explained: “In the immediate short term, there is no indication Defra and Natural England are moving. It is such a titanic issue, they don’t feel they can.

“But the quangos are no longer in control and are being directed to the blindingly obvious.

"Once ministers have got a feel for this, which I think they have, Natural England will not do anything unless they are told to. That is what will change.”