The most recent draft Fourth National Planning Framework states that proposals for new commercial peat extraction, including extensions to existing sites, should not be supported, unless o the extraction is supporting an industry of national importance, o there is no reasonable substitute, o the extraction is the minimum necessary and residual peat depth remains at least one metre, o the time-period for extraction is the minimum necessary, and o the proposal is accompanied by a comprehensive restoration plan to return the site to its original environmental status. • However, two-thirds of the peat sold in the UK is imported from elsewhere in Europe, in particular, from the Republic of Ireland.