MP Advocates for Accelerated Ban on Peat Product Sales

A Member of Parliament representing Somerset has urged for an acceleration of the prohibition on peat usage. Sarah Dyke, the Liberal Democrat MP for Glastonbury and Somerton, has introduced legislation in parliament that seeks to establish a specific timeline for the removal of peat products from retail. The proposed bill outlines a ban on the sale of horticultural peat by the close of 2025. Conversely, the Horticultural Trades Association has appealed to Members of Parliament to grant professional cultivators of trees and plants sufficient time to “make a smooth transition to peat-free”. Bagged compost sales represent half of all extracted peat sold within the UK, and upon extraction, the carbon contained within is released as carbon dioxide, thereby contributing to climate change. The government declared in 2022 its intention to ban the sale of horticultural peat “to protect England’s precious peatlands”; however, no specific timeline was confirmed at that point. A spokesperson for Defra stated: “We are committed to protecting our nature-rich habitats, including peat bogs and are looking at measures to ban the retail sale of horticultural peat.” During a House of Commons debate held on Wednesday, Ms Dyke highlighted that Somerset remains one of merely two counties in England where peat extraction continues. Ms Dyke also asserted that peatlands constitute “extremely rare and valuable habitats for wildlife”. In response, Sir Christopher Chope, the Conservative MP for Christchurch, Dorset, characterized the proposed legislation as a “full-frontal attack on British horticulture” and warned it would lead to “unacceptable and unintended consequences” for the sector. Nevertheless, Ms Dyke maintained that a prohibition on peat products, if implemented appropriately, would present “huge opportunities for British horticulture”. The Horticultural Peat (prohibition of sale) Bill is scheduled to advance to its second reading on 24 January. Fran Barnes, chief executive of the Horticultural Trades Association, implored MPs to provide “in-depth consideration to the UK’s professional tree and plant growers”. She further elaborated: “It takes considerable trial and testing to find a mix that works – and different plants growing in different conditions may require a different peat-free mix at nursery stage. “With the right support, we can eventually achieve this milestone; without support, there will be a significant contraction in the plants and trees that British environmental horticulture will be able to produce,” she added.