A North Yorkshire MP said there is a ‘gaping hole’ in the Government’s announcement of a £3.2m support package to restore the North York Moors National Park.
The fire at Langdale Moor, in the North York Moors National Park near RAF Fylingdales, broke out on August 11 and at its height covered nearly 25 sq km.
The Government will provide £3.2m of funding to the North York Moors National Park Authority (NYMNPA) for work including the restoration of peatland species and repairs to public footpaths.
However, Labour and Conservative politicians have criticised the Government for not providing compensation to local businesses, farmers and landowners impacted by the largest wildfire in North Yorkshire’s history, and accused it of abandoning the rural community.
Kevin Hollinrake, the MP for Thirsk and Malton, said: “The money to restore Fylingdales Moor is welcome and repairing the firebreaks, stabilising the slopes and bringing this precious landscape back to life is badly needed.
“But there is a glaring hole in the government’s announcement. Not a penny is going to the farmers, landowners and businesses who watched their livelihoods burn and who worked alongside our fire and rescue services for six weeks to save the moor. Had this been a flood, the Farming Recovery Fund and the Flood Recovery Framework would have been triggered within days. Because it was a wildfire, the people who suffered the losses are being left with nothing.”
The Conservative MP added: “Ministers cannot keep treating the land as worth saving while leaving the people who farm it to carry the cost. The government should now put in place a proper wildfire recovery framework so that no rural community is abandoned like this again.”
Alison Hume, the MP for Scarborough and Whitby, whose constituency includes the affected area, welcomed the funding as a “vital step towards restoring our precious moorland after last year’s devastating wildfire”.
The MP has previously said that farms and businesses hit by such fires should receive support similar to that provided for flooding and is hoping to propose legislation on the issue.
Ms Hume paid tribute to local farmers and residents affected by the fire, adding: “Many farmers showed incredible courage during the fire, putting themselves at risk to protect their land and their neighbours.
“I will continue working closely with them and speaking up on their behalf to make sure they get the support they need.
“That includes continuing to press for a grant scheme which mirrors the one available to victims of flooding.”
Nature Minister Mary Creagh said: “The Fylingdales wildfire was an unprecedented event that caused serious and lasting damage to one of England’s most treasured landscapes.
“This funding will help bring the moorland back to life – restoring the deep peat that stores carbon, supports rare wildlife, and protects communities downstream.
“Resilient, rewetted peatland is our best natural defence against wildfires in the future, and I am determined that this landscape recovers stronger than before.”
Commenting on the announcement, Jo Coles, York and North Yorkshire’s Deputy Mayor for Policing, Fire, and Crime, said: “The Langdale / Fylingdales fire was the largest wildfire ever in England in terms of the amount of carbon released, with over 25 sq km of moorland impacted.
“Since then I’ve been working closely with the fire and rescue service and other partners as well as national government to ensure services are learning the lessons from the fire and also look at how to prevent an incident of this scale happening again.”
Ms Coles added that the funding was “extremely welcome” and that it would be vital to “both the recovery from the fire but also to ensure the partnership work to prevent future fires moves forward in the right way too”.
She noted: “As the risk from climate change increases, efforts around wildfires, flooding and other issues will also inevitably need to increase. The Mayor David Skaith and I will continue to do everything we can, working together with partners across the region to ensure we’re doing everything we can to keep people safe.”
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