The EU’s LIFE+ programme awarded Natural England a grant of £2.5 million for the Cumbrian Bogs LIFE+ project. This funding will be used over 5 years to:

• restore 507 hectares of damaged lowland raised bog within 3 sites in Cumbria:
  • Bolton Fell Moss Site of Community Importance
  • South Solway Mosses Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
  • Roudsea Wood and Mosses SAC
• use the sites to demonstrate a range of restoration techniques to managers of similar habitats and to wider audiences
• monitor the recovery process and share best practice guidance about the restoration techniques
• raise awareness about the importance and value of the sites and lowland raised bog habitats through:
  • events
  • education programmes
  • newsletters
  • website and social media
  • mid-term and end of project conferences

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Natural England have provided an additional 50% of match funding.

Background

Lowland raised bogs are one of the one of the rarest wildlife habitats in the world. This habitat is very important for biodiversity and for its critical role in carbon storage. The aim is to reduce past damage from:

• woodland
• scrub invasion
• invasive species
• peat extraction
• land drainage for agriculture

Contact

Email: tony.devos@naturalengland.org.uk

We are a wholly owned subsidiary of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA).. We employ around 120 people. In addition to nuclear expertise, our staff bring experience from engineering, finance, the civil service and consultancy.

Our Board:

• sets out our strategic framework and direction

• is responsible for ensuring we observe high standards of corporate governance

The Board delegates the day-to-day management of RWM to the Executive, comprising the Managing Director and other Directors.

Premises in Great Britain and the Channel Islands must be approved by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to operate as an ABP plant.

The list of details follows the format laid down by the European Commission and is arranged in sections according to plant type:

• intermediate plants
• storage plants
• incineration plants
• processing (rendering) plants
• oleo-chemical plants
• biogas plants
• composting plants
• petfood plants
• specific users
• purposes outside of the food chain
• collection centres
• organic fertiliser/soil improver plants
• other registered plants

A list of approved and registered premises in the European Union is available on the European Commission website

Your company must be certified to handle fluorinated greenhouse gases (F gases) regulated by the EU if it services the following types of equipment for other businesses:

• stationary refrigeration systems that contain F gas
• stationary air conditioning and heat pump systems that contain F gas
• stationary fire protection systems that contain F gas

Servicing includes installing, repairing, maintaining and decommissioning.

Your employees must also be qualified as individuals if they handle F gas. Find out how to get qualified to work with F gas as an individual.

Sole traders must be qualified as individuals and certified as companies.

Certificates issued in other EU member states are valid in the UK.

Exception for companies servicing their own equipment

Your company doesn’t have to be certified if it only services its own equipment.

For example, a supermarket doesn’t have to be certified if it employs someone to service its refrigeration systems. However, a company that has a contract to service the supermarket’s refrigeration systems must be certified.

Your employees still have to be qualified as individuals if they handle F gas, even if your company doesn’t have to be certified.

Refrigeration and stationary air conditioning certification

Your company must be certified by one of these organisations if it services refrigeration or stationary air conditioning and heat pump systems for other businesses:

Refcom Certification Ltd

F-Gas Register (Quidos)

Bureau Veritas UK Ltd

You must renew your company’s certification every 3 years.

Fire protection certification

Your company must be certified by the Fire Industry Association if you work on fire protection systems.

Fire Industry Association

You must renew your company’s certification every 5 years.

Requirements for certified companies

If your company is certified you must be able to demonstrate that you:

• employ sufficient trained staff to carry out your work
• have procedures in place for the safe handling of F gases and to minimise emissions

You can meet the first requirement by recording the certificate numbers of any F gas qualifications received by your employees.

You can meet the second requirement by developing a written procedure for handling F gases, including the equipment used.

You may be audited by the body that certified you to check you meet these requirements.