# Restore peatlands to stop wildfires

> “This includes £25 million to restore dried-out peatlands in England so they hold more water and act as natural firebreaks, as well as financial support for farmers to fireproof their land, through digging ponds and removing burnable materials in high-risk areas.”
>
> — HM Government; Press release (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Ministry of Defence and Prime Minister's Office), 22 October 2026

- **Status:** Promised
- **Status ladder:** Promised → In plan → Legislated → Funded → Delivering → Delivered
- **Policy area:** [Housing & environment](https://ledgergov.uk/promises/area/housing-and-environment)
- **Speaker:** [HM Government](https://ledgergov.uk/actor/hm-government)
- **Made on:** 22 October 2026
- **Where:** Press release (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Ministry of Defence and Prime Minister's Office)
- **Deadline:** 30 April 2029
- **Cost a year:** Costs £11m to £14m a year (central £13m by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, official)
- **Who it affects:** Peatlands and farmland in England at high risk of wildfire
- **When:** April 2027 to April 2029
- **Paid for by:** £25 million for the Peatland Restoration Grant Scheme, run by Natural England
- **Quote source:** https://www.gov.uk/government/news/military-planes-and-helicopters-to-fight-wildfires-from-the-sky (checked word for word at its source on 25 October 2026; Open Government Licence v3.0)
- **Last updated:** 25 October 2026
- **Card:** https://ledgergov.uk/promise/uk-peatland-restoration-2029

## Where it stands

Announced ahead of the Prime Minister's wildfire summit, after the UK's hottest summer on record. The release says Natural England will run a new Peatland Restoration Grant Scheme, expected from April 2027 to April 2029; it does not say how many hectares will be restored or how much goes to farmers. "April 2029" is read as 30 April 2029. The card moves when the grant scheme opens.

## Timeline

- 22 October 2026, Promised: The government announces £25 million to restore dried-out peatlands in England as natural firebreaks
- 30 April 2029, Deadline (to come): Peatland Restoration Grant Scheme due to run until April 2029

## About the cost

The government's own figure: £25 million for a grant scheme expected to run from April 2027 to April 2029, shown as £12.5 million a year over two years. The release gives no split by year. Low–high is an editorial ±10% because the source gives a central figure only.

Costing sources:
- [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Ministry of Defence and Prime Minister's Office press release, 22 Oct 2026: Military planes and helicopters to fight wildfires from the sky](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/military-planes-and-helicopters-to-fight-wildfires-from-the-sky)

## Sources

- [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Ministry of Defence and Prime Minister's Office press release, 22 Oct 2026: Military planes and helicopters to fight wildfires from the sky](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/military-planes-and-helicopters-to-fight-wildfires-from-the-sky)

## Checks

- Checked automatically by AI Journalist, not yet verified by an editor.
- Checked by AI Journalist (automated) on 25 October 2026.

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