Annex 4 Details of extraction in

The extraction and conservation status of individual sites is subject to change and any account has a limited shelf-life, in that permissions expire, or may lapse due to inactivity; others may be revoked as part of a financially compensated restoration initiative. Sources of information include: Lindsay & Immirzi (1996), Thomas & Walker (2004), Capita Symonds (2005b) and Headley & Dargie (2004).

A dossier has been compiled for each site, and the essential points are summarised in Table A4.1, where examples of good practice are highlighted. Simple colour coding is used in Table A4.1 to indicate whether the current status of working and after-use conditions, progress with restoration and the use of planning instruments (see 6.2) are good (green), too early to judge (amber) or poor (red). A similar coding has been used for Scotland and Northern Ireland, though judgements are based on less information and are consequently of less value.

Sites for which planning consents are described but where extraction is known to have ceased are: Thorne Moors, Crowle Moors, Wedholme Flow and Fenn’s Whixall & Bettisfield Mosses (two-thirds in Wales, almost ceased). Some, such as Hatfield Moors, may still have some very limited peat extraction; while others, such as Thorne Moors and Wedholme Flow, are included because extraction has ceased very recently and afteruse conditions are still being implemented. These sites are progressing satisfactorily towards the best possible biodiversity gain, and are coloured green. This status is also extended to Bolton Fell Moss because the site is confirmed as a SAC and agreement has been reached with Natural England for William Sinclair to continue to harvest the bog up to the end of November 2013 but with limitations on methods, areas to harvest and the total volume.. The total area within the green category is 5420 ha; no area is given for Crowle Moors, but it is small compared with the other sites.

As detailed within Table A4.1, there are still uncertainties (amber) about the biodiversity outcomes on Astley Moss East, Simonswood Moss, Solway Moss, Holburn Moss, and Twelve Yards Road, even though permissions have been reviewed on the last two sites. These sites total 859 ha.

Although has a number of relatively small extraction sites, only and Moor have been included in Table A4.1. Although has vestiges of lowland raised bog vegetation it was rejected for SAC because it was not considered to have a reparable hydrology (English Nature, response to Kilkee moderation of proposed SAC bog sites, 1999, internal paper). Most Somerset peat is of fen origin, and raised bog is only thought to have existed for significant periods of time in a limited number of locations, including Shapwick Heath (PAA, 2002). Both these sites fall into the category of poor prospects for biodiversity gain as lowland raised bog for technical reasons. Westhay Moor is too small to be a viable raised bog by itself and the exposed peat on Shapwick Heath is mineral-enriched and is unsuitable for restoration to raised bog in the short term (but consider options for restoration described by Blankenburg & Tonnis, (Eds) 2004). The Somerset sites highlight the fact that peat extraction also affects potential fen, reedbed and coastal & floodplain grazing marsh . There is no parallel target to the Lowland Raised Bog Target 4 in the HAPs for these , but the potential for their creation under Target 3 alongside raised bog, or as a stage in longer-term bog development, should be noted (see e.g. Annex 3).

Other sites with poor prospects for biodiversity gain because of unfavourable afteruse conditions include Little Woolden Moss and Cadishead Moss (agricultural after-use); Kemping Moss, Lindow Moss and White Moss (Nipe Lane) for which lowland raised bog is not specified in the restoration requirements. The area of bog in the red category (excluding the Somerset sites) is 196 ha. This represents a group that would not benefit from peat replacement in horticulture unless the working and afteruse conditions are changed.

Table A4.1 Planning conditions and restoration status of peat extraction sites in England

Current

Drivers for

biodiversity benefit

use benefits -

Evidence of Area

Site bio-diversity Extant risks

(ha)

of afterof

gain

SAC BAP

SSSI UDP

plan*

Type

ROMP

Extraction end date

Depth of residual peat

Restoration Flora & fauna raised bog, Astley No evidence of how well bog plants will establish; no 97 2015 fen, open 1m None yet Y Y Y N Moss East information on Botany Bay Wood gains. water Exclusion of Bolton Fell vegetated area Not clear how successful terracing will be, or existing 373 2041 raised bog 0.5m Y Y Y Y Y N Moss from revised vegetation protected. consent Cadishead 8 2042 agriculture Y Y Y N Loss of restoration potential Moss 0.5m Crowle n/k Active bog on - raised bog (brea- Y Y Y Y Y Y Now receiving best possible management, good prospects. Moors C one ownership ched) Active bog Fenn’s & n/k presumed becoming Whixall 948 not Y Y Y Y Y Now receiving best possible management, good prospects. (C) raised bog known widely Mosses established Active bog Hatfield 2042 Now receiving best possible management, good prospects. 1401 raised bog 0.5m becoming Y Y Y Y Y Y Moors (C) (See Annex 3) established Holburn Moss raised bog no Afteruse plan still needs to be written, approved and 53 2011 None yet Y Y Y N (Greymare & fen info implemented Fm) Little Woolden 120 2042 agriculture Y Y N N Loss of restoration potential Moss Kemping mixed BAP Depends on details of restoration plans, to be written and 30 2029 none none Y N N Moss habitat agreed. Lindow mixed 31 2042 none none Y N Loss of restoration potential Moss habitat Shapwick Not evaluated – Opportunities for raised bog restoration in Somerset may be - var wet habitats none Y Y Y Y (Y) N Heath gain for SPA? lost unspec- Simons- ified nature Without sub-peat contours to guide restoration planning, wood 174 2042 0.5m None yet Y Y Y N conserv- enough peat may not be left for bog restoration Moss ation Solway mixed bog, 436 2042 0.5m None yet Y Y Y N Not yet clear what detailed restoration plans will include. Moss wet habitats Twelve 2010 Possible gains 99 raised bog 2m Y Y Y (Y) Not yet clear what the detailed restoration plans will include. Yard Road (C) from trials Widespread Thorne 1919 C raised bog 0.5m active bog gain Y Y Y Y Y Y Now receiving best possible management, good prospects. Moors & enhancement Widespread Wedholme 779 C raised bog 0.5m active bog gain Y Y Y Y Y Y Now receiving best possible management, good prospects. Flow & enhancement Not evaluated – Westhay Opportunities for raised bog restoration in Somerset may be - var wet habitats none may be gain for Y Y Y (Y) N Moor lost SPA White includes unkn Moss (Nipe 7 2021 None yet Y N N Loss of restoration potential habitats own Lane) Table notes: * For wetland/raised bog; ( ) = either wetland other than raised bog (Somerset) or insufficient information. Crowle Moors area included in Thorne Moors; n/k = not known; C = thought to have ceased; (C) large-scale extraction has ceased; var = various; Y = yes, N = no. Flora & Fauna column under contemporary benefit indicates whether there have been gains for biodiversity. Colour codes: grey shading – no commitment to a raised bog afteruse; colour shading indicates the authors’ opinion of outcome for bog biodiversity: green = good, amber = unclear or partial, red = poor or none. Information from Headley & Dargie (2004) and Capita Symons (2005b).