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Changes to heather and grass burning regulations

16/08/2007

heatherOn 1st October 2007 the updated Heather and Grass Burning Regulations will come into force. One of the main changes will be the introduction of bans that will protect soils from erosion and exposure. Natural England has also stated that the new regulations aim to cut the ‘red-tape’ for farmers and landowners, a move which has been welcomed by the NFU.

In summary the new regulations state:

  • Burns must not exceed 10ha
  • Burns must not exceed 0.5ha on slopes over 45 degrees
  • Burns must not exceed 0.5ha on rocky areas
  • Burns must not expose bare soil over an area greater than 0.5ha
  • Burns must not expose bare soil along the banks of watercourses, where the bare soil extends to more than 25 metres along the bank and is at least a metre wide at all points. 
  • Burns must not leave soil smouldering for more than 48 hours.

These restrictions can however be overcome under certain circumstances by obtaining a licence from Natural England.

To assist farmers and landowners in compliance with the new regulations, Defra and Natural England in consultation with experts from a range of organisations have produced “The Heather and Grass Burning Code 2007, which was published on 2nd August 2007. The code provides a summary of the new regulations together with an outline of good practice for burning.  A Good Practice Guide will also be available from Natural England in September.

For more information, please contact Helena Saunderson on 01785 220044.

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