Restoration of peatland sites across Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside has been given the green light and will receive funding of over £1.5 million from the Government’s Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme. The restoration of these important sites will benefit people, wildlife, and is another positive step towards combating the climate emergency.

Over four km² (417 hectares) of precious peatland will be restored thanks to the funding, land which once stretched across the historic county boundary of Lancashire. The project includes 16 sites, spanning from Darwen Moor in Lancashire to Red Moss in Greater Manchester and Colliers Mosses in Merseyside. The project will reconnect fragmented peatland habitats whilst working alongside local urban communities and engaging with volunteers. The sites will also be designed to act as a natural flood mitigator, as well as improving water quality in the area.

It is estimated that the restoration of these sites will secure an estimated 90,000 tonnes of CO²e by 2050. That is the equivalent of taking 22,000 cars off the road for a whole year.

The project brings together organisations including Lancashire Wildlife Trust, the National Trust, Mersey Forest, Bolton Council, Lancashire Peat Partnership and the Lord’s Hall Estate.

Lancashire Wildlife Trust’s Head of Peatland Nature Recovery, Sarah Johnson, said:

“Currently at least four per cent of the UK’s harmful greenhouse gas emissions are released directly from degraded peatlands, so it is vital that we restore these wonderful habitats if we want to meet our net zero targets. By bringing these areas back to life not only can we reduce CO ²emissions, but we can also create vital wildlife habitats. So, we are really excited to be taking another step towards restoring our Red Rose peatlands.”

Over the course of the two year project we will continue this work, all with the aim of maintaining, managing and restoring the precious peat. With each site, and even sometimes different areas of the same site, all at different levels of degradation individual tailored restoration plans have been created. These could include; installing dams and bunds to help raise water tables and manage hydrology, vegetation management including scrub and invasive plant clearance, as well as the planting of native peatland plant species.

The Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme is part of the government’s effort to leave the environment in a better state for future generations. The government are investing over £50 million to help restore peatlands, with approximately 35,000 hectares of peatlands to be restored by the end of this parliament.

As we start the restoration process of these sites, there is still much more work to be done, and we will keep fighting to protect and rejuvenate our precious, irreplaceable peatlands.

Cllr Richard Silvester, Bolton Council’s cabinet member for Climate Change and Environment, said:

“I am delighted that this wonderful project will help to further protect and restore ancient peatland on land owned by Bolton Council. Peatlands are magical places that are home to wildlife of all kinds, from insects and lizards to iconic species like hen harriers and skylarks, so it’s no wonder that Red Moss is officially designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.”

James Readfern at The Lords Hall Estate, Darwen said:

“For the last six years we have been driving significant restoration and conservation work to improve our beloved moor, which had been neglected for a generation. This new partnership enables us to fast-track some very visible improvements which will benefit all users of the moor, as well as all of the environmental and carbon capturing benefits”.

Dave McAleavy, Trustee of the Community Forest Land Trust and Bold Forest Park Project Manager at The Mersey Forest, said:

“Burtonwood, Bold, and Sutton Mosses are the most important features and habitat of Colliers Moss North and are the only remaining parts of a once extensive peatland area, with 80% having been lost from tipping of colliery spoil from the then nearby Bold Colliery. Out of the five peatland sites across Merseyside, Colliers Moss North holds a third of all peatlands in Merseyside.  It’s fantastic news that the Lancashire Wildlife Trust has secured this very important funding that will start the restoration process. We never envisaged being able to start this work so soon and would like to thank the Lancashire Wildlife Trust and partners for including this site within their project.”