Welsh landowners offered new funding for peatland restoration projects

A new round of development grants offering people between £10,000 - £30,000 to fund ‘shovel-ready’ peatland restoration projects has opened.

The grant, launched by the Welsh government today (13 October), funds the preparations needed for farmers and landowners deliver peatland restoration.

Applications should detail site-specific measures identified to prepare an actionable restoration plan; these could include peat, hydrology and habitat surveys, consents and community consultation, and other preparations.

Peatland is the most valuable land resource in Wales for carbon, given its potential to store 30% of soil-based carbon.

Yet, as the estimated 90% of Welsh peatlands in a damaged condition emit greenhouse gases, restoration is seen as vital to address climate change.

Mannon Lewis who leads on the National Peatland Action Programme (NPAP) explained: “This start-up grant aims to encourage landowners to understand their peatland and develop a plan so that they’re shovel-ready for restoration.

"Successful applicants will show how the funding will develop an actionable peatland restoration plan.

"Once the restoration plan is in place, options to progress to restoration action include our follow-on competitive delivery grant (£50K-£250k).”

The funding pot for this third round of development grants totals £100,000 and free guidance webinars, held on 27 October, will be available for potential applicants.

Wales' Climate Change Minister, Julie James said: “We’ve seen increasing rates of peatland restoration in recent years, but there is still so much we need to do for us to accelerate restoration.

"I encourage those with peatland to apply for this funding, as healthy peatlands help protect against the climate emergency.”

The development grant is part of NPAP’s more extensive peatland restoration action funded by Welsh government to the value of over £2.5m over the next two years.