26-02-2025
Moorlands ravaged by wildfires set to be brought back to life with new scheme
Moorlands in and around Bolton that have been ravaged by wildfires in recent years are set to be rejuvenated thanks to a new recovery scheme.
The Lancashire Wildlife Trust, United Utilities and a host of other partners have come together to develop a Landscape Recovery Scheme.
The scheme aims to rejuvenate almost 7,000 hectares, which equates to around 27 square miles, of the West Pennine Moors, including around landmarks including Rivington Pike, Winter Hill and Darwen Tower.
A new short film has been created to help keep people informed.
Rivington Reservoir - Gemma De Cet
It features staff from the Wildlife Trust and United Utilities, along with a local farmer, artist and walker.
The film aims to show people why the West Pennine Moors are so special, the challenges they face, and hopes to inspire people to get involved and support the landscape recovery scheme.
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Timeline of the Winter Hill Fire
This is after moors in Lancashire, Bolton and other parts of the North West have been hit by wildfires in recent years.
The wildfire on Winter Hill raged for more than a month and ravaged an area the size of around 2,500 football pitches almost five years ago
It started as separate incidents, one incident close to the TV mast and one incident close to Scout Road, which combined to create an inferno.
Over the course of the wildfires, more than 100 firefighters from GM Fire and Rescue Service, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and further afield were assisted by rescue teams from Bolton, Bowland and Pendle and Rossendale, as well as United Utilities and other partners.
In 2020, a fire on Darwen Moor took more than 60 hours to bring under control.
Around 50 firefighters and 10 fire engines from Lancashire and Greater Manchester battled to contain the blaze.
It is believed to have been started by a discarded barbecue.
In 2022, a fire broke out near to Darwen Tower and around 1,000 square metres of moorland were affected.
The fire service said the fire was started deliberately.
The film aims to show people why the West Pennine Moors are so special, the challenges they face, and hopes to inspire people to get involved and support the Landscape Recovery Scheme.
The area contains 34 per cent of Lancashire's blanket bog, 185 priority species of local concern for conservation, covers a substantial part of the West Pennine Moors Site of Special Scientific Interest, and is noted for key isolated populations of twite, brown hare and adder
One million people live in and around the West Pennine Moors
West Pennine Moors at Belmont - Alan Wright.
Nabil Abbas, West Pennine Moors Project Manager at Lancashire Wildlife Trust, said: 'The West Pennine Moors Landscape Recovery Scheme aims to bring together stakeholders including government agencies, charities, farmers, landowners, residents and visitors to develop a long-term plan for how to care for this amazing place.
'Over the years numerous pressures on the landscape have combined to threaten the natural habitats and species which live there. However, by working in partnership and developing landscape-scale proposals, the Landscape Recovery Scheme aims to restore and rejuvenate the landscape so that it can provide us with a series of ecosystem service benefits: more wildlife, clean drinking water, carbon storage, sustainable farming businesses, and a place where people can spend time enjoying the great outdoors and improving health and wellbeing.'
Andy Ryding, United Utilities Catchment Partnership Project Officer, said: 'The Landscape Recovery scheme is a vital partnership that brings together so many key stakeholders to work together, to better enhance the natural environment, to support our farming tenancies and benefit our surrounding communities.
'For our part, improving the catchment land around our reservoirs not only helps improve the biodiversity of the area, but crucially improves raw water quality which reduces treatment costs for our valued customers.'
Cotton grass on Rivington Moor by Rich Burkmarr
The Landscape Recovery Scheme is currently in its development phase, so partners are working together to map and understand the myriad of different habitats, land uses and challenges in the West Pennine Moors, before developing plans to rejuvenate the area. With such a variety of habitats and land uses there cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach, and so engaging with key stakeholders and local communities will be vital to create an appropriate and realistic vision for the landscape.
A series of public events and activities will be held over the spring and summer to give people the opportunity to learn more about the project and have their say on what the landscape means to them. For more information about the project please visit
