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Local Authorities and Sustainable Peatland Management: Current Opportunities and Future Possibilities for Local Approaches
Local authorities provide wellbeing objectives through their system of corporate planning. This kind of high level, strategic planning is not the place for specific mention of peatlands. However, these high-level strategies can provide a supportive framework for the development of more specific policies. In particular, a corporate strategy could provide a strategic approach to developing resilient ecological networks and nature-based solutions more generally, recognising the contribution these may make to all seven statutory wellbeing goals.
Biodiversity and Ecosystems Resilience
Local authorities, like all public authorities in Wales, have a duty to seek to maintain and enhance biodiversity and in so doing promote the resilience of ecosystems. They must also report on their activities in pursuit of this duty every 3 years. Including SPM as a means of achieving these goals will help ensure that SPM is considered in all the core functions of the local authority, i.e., including flood prevention and access to the countryside, and policy development on issues such as climate change, culture, heritage and tourism. If the contribution of peatlands to biodiversity and ecosystems resilience is clearly recognised by the local authority, this can also be used as a mechanism to ensure SPM is considered in decision making throughout the organisation.
Local authority’s own operations
Procurement
Local authorities can exercise significant influence through their own procurement practices. In December 2022, the Welsh Government announced that it would be introducing a ban on the sale of peat compost for horticulture. It has not been specific as to when this will be achieved as, given the devolved nature of its powers, Welsh Government, will need to work with UK Government to achieve a ban in Wales. In the meantime, local authorities in Wales could consider stopping the purchase of peat compost for their own operations, subject to public procurement rules.
Landownership
Local authorities manage a large estate some of which may include areas of peatlands. For example, peatlands might be included in Local Nature Reserves or Country Parks. Local Nature Reserves are legal designations provided by local authorities and managed for nature conservation (and in some instances the desire to further recreation). The local authority will not necessarily own the relevant land and can enter into a management agreement with the landowner if necessary to preserve nature on the site. They can also make byelaws to protect sites that are owned by them or managed in agreement with them. Country Parks are also a legal designation provided by local authorities for the purpose of providing, or improving, opportunities for the enjoyment of the countryside by the public. Local authorities have powers to compulsorily purchase land to create a Country Park and to
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