Natural England has awarded £6.9 million through the Nature for Climate fund to the Great North Bog coalition.

The Great North Bog covers peatland across nearly 7000 square kilometres in the North of England, including much of the Peak District National Park.

In the Peak District National Park, £1 million of grant funding, matched with £330,000 from Yorkshire Water, will enable bare peat restoration, through gully blocking, reprofiling, bunding, heather brash spreading, revegetation and sphagnum planting, delivered by Moors for the Future Partnership.

Wet, healthy peat soils absorb and trap carbon dioxide (CO2). Worldwide, it is estimated that peatland contains more than 550 gigatons of carbon – more than that stored in all the world’s forests. In regulating the flow of ground water, peatland also reduces the risks of flooding and drought.

Ahead of the COP26 Summit in Glasgow last year, the Government launched the England Peat Action Plan, which set out a plan to restore, sustainably manage, and protect peatland.

The Government also committed to increase the Nature for Climate Fund to £750 million by 2024–25 with the aim of restoring 35,000 hectares of peatland across England.

Local MP Robert Largan, who has consistently campaigned for the restoration of peatland, welcomed the funding.

Robert Largan, MP for High Peak, commented:

“Since being elected, I have actively campaigned for the restoration of our local peat moors. I asked my first question in Parliament on this subject, and I am proud to have secured a significant increase in funding for this vital work.

“I have seen first-hand the fantastic work this funding makes possible. On Brown Knoll and Rushop Edge, one of the highest hills in the Peak District, the Moors for the Future Partnership have been hard at work restoring lost peatlands. This extra £1.3 million in funding is fantastic news for High Peak!

“The Peak District is a special place. We have a duty to protect it for future generations.”