BRADFORD Council is calling on the Government to ban burning heather on peat moors in a bid to address global warming.

The council urged the Government to introduce the ban after burning on Bingley Moor in November prompted complaints about pollution in the Wharfe valley.

However, the Moorland Association and Bingley Moor Partnership, who own the moorland, say controlled burns help with bio-diversity and reduce the risk of "devastating wildfires".

In a letter sent to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs the council asked them to reconsider their position.

The Government introduced a partial ban in May but Bingley Moor is exempt as it is located on degraded shallow peat, not blanket bog.

A Bradford Council spokesperson said: “Peatland is central to the ecology of the moorland and acts as a carbon sink so its condition is critical in addressing global warming.

“We stopped burning heather as we believe there are better ways to actively manage moorland that improves local air quality, biodiversity, public health and the wider climate.

“Instead of burning the moor, we invest in natural flood management which increases the area of peatland which everyone can enjoy.

“Heather that requires management is cut rather than burnt. This returns nutrients to the soil and has a much smaller carbon footprint.”

A spokesperson for the Moorland Association said: “Carefully controlled burning does not damage peatland as the soil is unaffected by burning off the tips of the vegetation.

"It is beneficial for unique moorland wildlife, providing a patchwork of varied plants, boosting populations of ground nesting birds, insects and mammals.

"Managed burns on moorland are absolutely crucial to mitigate the severity of devastating wildfires which are increasingly common in the summer and generate huge temperatures, igniting the peat itself and releasing vast amount of carbon emissions.

"Rewetting peatland alone is not enough to prevent wildfires. For this reason fire services in England, Wales and Scotland endorse controlled burning to reduce the risk of wildfires starting and limit their spread when they do occur.

“On moorland where controlled burning has ceased, there have been disastrous wildfires including on Saddleworth and Marsden moors.

“Local authorities must decide whether they are willing to accept the additional strain on the fire service from vast wildfires in the summer purely because they are ideologically opposed to grouse moors.”

In November, a spokesperson for Bingley Moor Partnership said: “Heather is burnt for bio-diversity and to stop wildfires. It’s best for the countryside in the long run."