Mayor backs ban on heather burning in Doncaster in bid to avert flood risk

Mayor Ros Jones, in a letter to the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), said that the practice, which is performed by shoot operators to engineer breeding habitat for red grouse, must end to help stop flooding in communities on the River Don.

Doncaster was deluged by flood water back in November 2019 causing hundreds of homes to flood and inflicting millions of pounds in damage after the Don burst its banks.

A voluntary call to halt burning was said to have not been successful, with grouse moors upstream in the Peak District continuing to set large fires on rare blanket bog during the last burning season, which ran from October to April.

Research by the University of Leeds found that peatlands in the headwaters of the River Don contain important vegetation, such as sphagnum moss, which acts like a sponge to hold rainfall in the hills, which in turn prevents flooding.

However, when burning is conducted the sensitive mosses are damaged, leading to large amounts of rainfall being channelled downstream.

Mayor Jones said: “Doncaster was severely impacted by flooding of the river Don in November 2019, the headwaters of which are situated in Pennine peatland, including within the Peak District National Park.

“We therefore have a clear stake in the state of the uplands peat environment around the headwaters of the River Don, the health of which has a direct impact on the citizens of Doncaster.

“We expect therefore that Doncaster’s interests are best served by the proper restoration of upland peat areas, and as indications are that this would not involve managed burning, we would be expecting DEFRA to follow through on their commitment.”

Luke Steele, a spokesperson for campaign group Ban Bloodsports on Yorkshire’s Moors, said: “It’s past time to put an end to the burning of rare peatlands for grouse shooting — a practice which degrades fragile ecosystems, releases climate-altering gasses into the atmosphere and worsens flooding in communities downstream from grouse moors like those in Doncaster.

“With burning continuing on grouse moors across Yorkshire, we commend Doncaster Council for giving its support for a burning ban to help save the region’s peatlands from further damage and protect communities from flooding.”