Peat

It’s that time of year again when gardeners head to the garden centre to get some compost.  Unfortunately you will still find peat based composts for sale despite the promises of previous governments to halt the retail sale of peat by 2024. The legislation to enact this ban looks to be stalled.

Peat accumulates at the rate of about 1mm per year, so when you see pictures like this you know current approaches to peat use are completely unsustainable. It isn’t naturally fertile, it’s a growing medium made fertile by the addition of fertilisers.

Hawkes Co. drivers use tractors to vacuum dried peat while harvesting. Courtesy of Hawkes Co.

Peat is a better store of carbon than trees as once trapped in a water logged bog the carbon can stay trapped almost indefinitely, until we come along!  Not only does peat store carbon, it acts as a sponge absorbing water and slowly releasing it, so helping to prevent flash flooding as our climate changes with the resultant torrential downpours.  It also helps to purify water, with much of our drinking water coming from upland areas.

Not only is peat being exploited for gardening, it’s still being used as a home heating fuel!

It can also be burnt on moors when heather is being burnt to create ideal grouse feeding conditions for the shooting industry when a controlled burn also damages the underlying peat.

The government is currently conducting a consultation on amendments to The Heather and Grass etc. Burning (England) Regulations 2021. Heather and grassland burning is currently carried out under licence but from an environmental perspective on many levels it’s hard to see why it should be allowed at all.  Please respond to the consultation.

Meanwhile, what can you do? 

• Write to your MP asking for the stalled peat ban legislation to be progressed and for the cutting and burning of peat for home heating to be banned.
• Buy peat free compost!  For guides to peat free compost see RSS | RSS  and Peat-free compost choices / RHS Gardening and The best peat-free compost for eco-friendly gardening
• See tips for using peat free compost at Peat-free compost: what is peat and how to use it - Which?
• Make your own compost using this guidance.  Surely the best answer!

Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland

 By law all councils need to come up with a Local Nature Recovery Strategy, as laid down in the Environment Act 2021. For Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland this is being led by Paul Killip, from Leicestershire CC.

Local Nature Recovery Strategies are a new mandatory system of spatial strategies that will:

• Map the most valuable existing areas for nature.
• Establish priorities.
• Map proposals for specific actions to drive nature’s recovery and achieve wider environmental benefits.

Why bother?

• The State of Nature 2023 report reveals that over 26% of terrestrial mammals in the UK are facing the threat of extinction.
• Birds are one of the most severely impacted groups, with 43% of species facing risk of extinction.
• Species like the Turtle Dove and Curlew have seen catastrophic declines.
• Pollinator species have decreased by 18% on average, while crop pest control invertebrates, such as the 2-Spot Ladybird, have declined by more than 34%.
• Freshwater habitats are particularly vulnerable, with species such as the European Eel and Atlantic Salmon facing dramatic population declines. The European Eel has seen a 95% decrease.
• In future Local Planning Authorities will have to take account of nature recovery areas when making planning decisions.  It would be good to think improvement initiatives would involve members of the public so we could get some local ownership going.

The LNRS aims to achieve 8 Strategic Aims:

1. Increase the area and diversity of land and water managed for wildlife in Leicestershire, Leicester, and Rutland.
2. Increase biodiversity by improving the ecological condition (habitat quality) of existing areas for nature conservation.
3. Re-instate natural processes and utilise Nature-Based-Solutions to support nature and climate resilience.
4. Protect and enhance green and blue spaces within urban habitats.
5. Promote sustainable agriculture and support local food systems.
6. Improve ecological connectivity by establishing coherent and resilient ecological networks at scale.
7. Reduce major pressures and threats to nature including Invasive Non- Native Species control.
8. Improve our understanding of the State of Nature and actively monitor habitats/species change over time.

The strategy has identified 8 priority habitats:

1. Woodland
2. Freshwater
3. Grasslands
4. Urban
5. Agricultural
6. Open mosaic
7. Nature networks
8. Geodiversity

Extensive studies have mapped the whole of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland seeking to identify areas for nature recovery.  The maps are available to look at online, including one where the general public can identify areas they think worthy of mention.

Following a session with Paul Killip LFoE have reviewed both the draft and the actual report and submitted suggestions for improvements.  The next version is due out in July so we look forward to seeing this strategy coming into being.