Annex 7 Details of peat extraction in Northern Ireland

Sources of information on Northern Ireland peat extraction include Tomlinson et al. (1991), Tomlinson et al. (1998) and O‟Hare & Woodrow (2004). Details of individual peat extractor‟s sites and methods of working are provided on their websites; companies or individuals holding the planning consents are identified in Table A7.1. The site locations were overlain on map (Aalen et al., 1997) in which blanket bog is distinguished from lowland raised bog so that each could be categorised, and compared with a classification provided by the Environment & Heritage Service, Northern Ireland. There was only a discrepancy over one site, described as “North of junction of Barony Road…” (Table A7.1), for which the EHS classification of raised bog was adopted.

Extent of peat cutting Peat cutting for domestic fuel has been the most significant cause of decline in Northern Ireland peatlands (O‟Hare & Woodrow, 2004) because of the turbary rights1 owned by private landowners over adjacent small plots of land. Hand-cut turf production in Ireland reached its peak in 1926 when over six million tonnes were cut. Peat cutting declined until World War II when again peat became a vital domestic fuel and deep peat in raised bogs and extensive areas of blanket bogs were exploited.

Peat cutting for fuel has occurred on 77.5% of raised bogs in Northern Ireland. Most of this has been for domestic purposes, but the relatively limited commercial extraction for fuel has had important local effects. Since 1972/3 commercial extraction has needed planning consent, but the complexity of land ownership and turbary rights sometimes makes the distinction between commercial and domestic cutting difficult to determine ( see http://www.peatlandsni.gov.uk/history/index.htm).

In addition to peat extracted in Northern Ireland, peat may be imported as a bulk material, from small producers in the Republic of Ireland (ROI), as baled material from the UK or the ROI, or a bagged material or compost from the ROI or the UK (O‟Hare and Woodrow, 20042). No specific information is available on imports from Eastern European countries.

Impacts on designated sites The sites listed by O‟Hare & Woodrow (2004) are given in Table A7.1. The point grid references have been used to plot them on maps of Northern Ireland showing the extent of peat deposits and relevant designations. Although the actual extents of the extraction areas are not available, it is possible to list which sites are on or near an SAC or ASSI; Ramsar and SPA designations are less likely to reflect a raised bog interest.

Garvaghullion Drumquin and Ballywholan Clogher are two SAC/ASSIs with a total of 26.05 ha of extraction area on or next to them. Curran Bog, Magerafelt is an ASSI with 55 ha of extraction area on or next to it. This is approximately 6% of the 1358 ha of extraction area quoted by O‟Hare & Woodrow.

Requirement for planning consent Except under rights of turbary, the extraction of peat for sale (either for fuel or for horticultural use) requires consent under planning legislation (O‟Hare & Woodrow, 2004). However, the prospect of paying for planning permissions and the objections that may arise mean that planning permission is often not sought (Cruikshank et al. 1991). Smaller plots on which individuals have the right to cut peat may be worked as one to approach a commercial scale of

1 These are rights, often ancient in origin, to cut peat. They pre-date planning legislation and are exempt from it. 2 Although this report is confidential, this wording has been agreed by the Environment & Heritage Service of DoENI. production but arguably do not need planning consent. These activities may have a significant impact on the lowland raised bog environment in Northern Ireland (Cruickshank et al. 1991).

Planning applications are accompanied by form P1B „Additional information required in respect of applications for mineral workings‟ (below). However, this information does not form part of the planning conditions, and so compliance with the information supplied is not monitored. All the five points are relevant to the successful restoration of the site to raised bog:

 The quantity of mineral to be extracted yearly  Rate of working – hectares/year  Maximum depth of excavation  Estimated life expectancy of the mineral working  Proposals for restoration or after-use of the land

A typical planning approval may include some or all of the following planning conditions:

 Phased rehabilitation is undertaken as a peat bog is worked, as opposed to waiting until all the peat is extracted.  Rehabilitation work must usually commence: o within 2 years of the commencement of the next phase; o within 6 months of the cessation of extraction of the whole site; and o if work has ceased for a continuous period of 2 years -  A final restoration scheme shall be submitted to the Planning Service.

For the most part, phased rehabilitation of older sites is not being undertaken and restoration is not started until extraction has finished (O‟Hare and Woodrow, 2004).The review of mineral planning (ROMP) process has not yet occurred in Northern Ireland and that planned for 2009 has been postponed pending the development of model planning conditions (pers. comm. Martin Bradley, Department of the Environment, Northern Ireland, February 2009). The Northern Ireland Environment Agency have not been consulted on any new peat extractions in since 2008 but have been consulted with regard to illegal extractions.

Monitoring of restorations and planning consents In Northern Ireland a lack of staff resources means that there is little or no enforcement of planning conditions or surveillance of site rehabilitation work or monitoring of site activities at present, or since 1993 when the current peatland policy was put in place (O‟Hare and Woodrow, 2004). Rehabilitation is a condition of more recent planning permissions, but the extent to which this has been applied is not known.

Given the lack of information about site restoration and that no revisions of planning consents have occurred under the ROMP process, all sites in Table A7.1 have been given the „poor biodiversity prospects‟ red rating.

Table A7.1 Peat Extraction Details from the DOE Planning Service Databases, July 2004 (O’Hare and Woodrow) Status, Plannin Grid Reference Area Notes On Irish Gr. Location LRB or BB Date g File Referenc Active in 2008 Number Ha. Work Type o ref Approved N es Loughbeg Toomebridge LRB Approved 39930 G/92/0184 42 Extr New 92/013 079/15 1993 39430 LRB Approved 29836 Yes G/92/183 H/92/0228 Newferry Bellaghy 31.33 Extr 92/014 079/02 1996 398900 180m Ne Beattie Villas LRB Approved 24910 Yes K/92/0495 3.8 Exrt New 92/010 138/10 Endenderry Omagh 1994 37020 LRB Approved 29430 Yes H/90/0564 Moyagoney Road Clady 50 Extr New 85/029 54/13 1993 40590 Approved 23600 Yes K/90/0484 Garvaghullion Drumquin LRB 11.95 Exrtr New 90/025 11/08 1994 37710 28700 H/93/0300 Curran Bog Magerafelt LRB Wd 55 Extr 93/019 78/10 39550 Coolrakey Tattinfree 39400 L/93/0972 LRB Approved 97 53 Exrt New 84/015 213/06 Brookborough 45800 Approved 29130 Yes M/94/0181 Derryhubbert The Birches LRB 44 Exrt New 3/3/2/94 180/08 1996 35960 Approved 39980 Yes also G/92/0183 Loughbeg Toomebridge LRB 43 Extr 92/012 70/11 1993 39520 G/92/184 Approved 24790 Yes K/90/0232 LRB 12.45 Exrt New 90/004 138/11 Tattykeel Omagh 1990 36800 Approved 24820 Yes K/89/0232 Arvalee Omagh LRB 18 Exrt New 89/006 138/06 1990 37200 Approved 26000 Yes K/94/0708 Grove Bog Carrickmore LRB 80 Extr New 90/033 139/11 1991 37040 Approved 23680 Yes K/96/0455 Garvaghullion Drumquinn LRB 23.9 Extr Ex 3/3/1/96 120/05 2002 37680 approved198 28930 Yes, O/88/437 M/88/0437 Derryhirk Rd Dungannon LRB 12 Extr New 85/026 180/07 8 35840 Sluggan Bog 30960 Yes T/86/0488 LRB 1987 150.2 Extr 80/002 80/15 Randalstown 39350 Ballymacombs More Approved 29800 Yes H/79/0252 LRB 66 Exrt New 79/035 79/02 Bellaghy 1980 39950 Approved 29280 M/96/0059 Derrylee Rd Dungannon LRB 24.4 Extr New 3/3/1/94 161/16 1997 36260 K/98/0628 N of junction of Barony Rd LRB Approved 5 Extr new 3/3/5/98 26410 122/04 Status, Plannin Grid Reference Area Notes On Irish Gr. Location LRB or BB Date g File Referenc Active in 2008 Number Ha. Work Type o ref Approved N es and Main Cookstown Rd 1999 37960 BB Approved 26200 B/85/0367 Altahullion Dungiven 550 Extr New 85/024 38/16 Yes 1986 41300 Approved 25820 M/97/0234 Ballywholan Clogher BB 2.15 Extr New 3/3/2/97 125/02 1997 34660 BB Approved 27030 I/97/0188 Kildress Cookstown 5 Exrt New 3/3/1/97 123/11 2002 37630 BB Approved 30120 G/98/0223 Craigs Rd Cullybacky 74.86 Extr Ex 3/3/3/98 54/08 2000 41000 LRB 726 BB 632 both 1358

Key: Extr = Extraction, New = New application, Ex = extension to existing application, WD = withdrawn; LRB = lowland raised bog; BB = blanket bog.

Additional sites possibly extracted in 2008 (Source Northern Ireland Environment Agency): H/93/252, Bulrush Peat Co. Ltd, Newferry Road, Ballymacombs More Bellaghy T/79/569, Bulrush Peat Co. Ltd, Ballylurgan Sharvogues, Randalstown, Sluggan Road, Magheralane Road, Randalstown D/81/163, BP (NI) Ltd, Glenburn Road, Glenburn, Dunloy

* Categorisation as either blanket bog or lowland raised bog was determined by overlaying the site locations on a map provided on-line from Aalen et al., 1997. http://www.askaboutireland.ie/learning-zone/primary-students/looking-at-places/offaly/aspects-of-offaly/boglands/ and from information provided by the Environment & Heritage Service, Department of the Environment Northern Ireland.

APPLICANT NAMES HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THE TABLE

Colour codes for Table A7.1: colour shading indicates the authors‟ opinion of outcome for bog biodiversity: red = poor or no commitment to lowland raised bog restoration.

NB The judgement on biodiversity prospects is applied to be consistent with tables from England and Scotland. There is insufficient information on the Northern Ireland sites for informed judgements to be made, but, in the absence of any reviews of the permissions or knowledge of afteruse intentions, red is considered to be most appropriate.

Maps of peatland nature conservation sites, extraction sites and peat deposits in Northern Ireland