The Peak District has been awarded £1 million in grant funding for peatland restoration and conservation. 

The funding, matched with £330,000 from Yorkshire Water, is part of £6.9 million given through the Nature for Climate fund, administered by Natural England for similar work across Northern England.  

Restoration of peatland will make a huge contribution to the landscape's future resilience to climate change and create significant benefits for greenhouse gas reduction.  

In the Peak District bare peat restoration to be delivered by Moors for the Future Partnership and will include gully blocking, reprofiling, heather brash spreading, revegetation, and sphagnum planting. 

Chris Dean, head of MFFP, said: “This funding will allow us to continue our work and make a significant contribution to tackling climate change by reducing carbon loss from peatlands by over 84,000 tonnes.  

“The Nature for Climate funding is one of a number of funding streams from public and private partners that recognise the importance of moorland restoration." 

Around 80 per cent of upland peatlands across the Peak District National Park and South Pennine Park have been left in a damaged state due to centuries of industrial pollution, and wildfires.  

This funding is part of the government commitment to set 35,000 ha of degraded peatland in England on a path to restoration by March 2025 and reduce emissions from peat by nine million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent by 2050. 

High Peak MP Robert Largan has welcomed the award. “I have seen first-hand the fantastic work this funding makes possible.  

“On Brown Knoll and Rushup Edge, one of the highest hills in the Peak District, the Moors for the Future Partnership have been hard at work restoring lost peatlands.” 

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