Environmental permits

The EP Regulations 2010 were introduced on 6 April 2010, replacing the 2007 Regulations. The Regulations (Statutory Instrument 675) can be viewed on the government's Legislation website.

In 2007 the Regulations combined the Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) and Waste Management Licensing (WML) Regulations. Their scope has since been widened to include water discharge and groundwater activities, radioactive substances and provision for a number of Directives, including the Mining Waste Directive.

You must have an environmental permit if you operate a regulated facility in England or Wales.
A regulated facility includes:

• installations or mobile plants carrying out listed activities
• waste operations (unless an exempt waste operation)
• waste mobile plant
• mining waste operations

Listed activities include:

• energy - burning fuel, gasification, liquification and refining activities
• metals - manufacturing and processing metals
• minerals - manufacturing lime, cement, ceramics or glass
• chemicals - manufacturing chemicals, pharmaceuticals or explosives, storing chemicals in bulk
• waste - incinerating waste, operating landfills, recovering waste
• solvents - using solvents
• other - manufacturing paper, pulp and board, treating timber products, coating, treating textiles and printing, manufacturing new tyres, intensive pig and poultry farming

Listed activities are divided into three categories: Part A(1), Part A(2) and Part B.

Part A permits control activities with a range of environmental impacts, including:

• emissions to air, land and water
• energy efficiency
• waste reduction
• raw materials consumption
• noise, vibration and heat
• accident prevention

Part B permits control activities which cause emissions to air.

The permit your business requires depends on the specific processes involved and resulting emissions.

Permits are available from the Environment Agency or your local authority (the regulator) depending upon the category your business falls within:

• Part A(1) installations or mobile plants are regulated by the Environment Agency
• Part A(2) and Part B installations or mobile plants are regulated by the local authority, except waste operations carried out at Part B installations which are regulated by the Environment Agency
• waste operations or waste mobile plant carried on other than at an installation, or by Part A or Part B mobile plants, are regulated by the Environment Agency
• mining waste operations are regulated by the Environment Agency

Applications must be made on the form provided by the regulator, or online and must include specified information which will vary depending on the operation.

A fee will be payable if the application is for a new permit (see Environmental Permitting Fees and Charges (PDF, 91kb)).

If further information is required the applicant will be notified by the regulator and they must provide this information or the application will be deemed to be withdrawn.

The application must be from the operator of the regulated facility.

For waste operations no licence will be granted unless any required planning permission had first been granted 

A summary of the regulation relating to this licence  

The regulator will pay regard to the protection of the environment taken as a whole by, in particular, preventing or, where that is not practicable, reducing emissions into the air, water and land.

The regulator may inform the public of the application and must consider any representations.

The application must be from the operator of the regulated facility and the regulator must be satisfied that they must operate the facility in accordance with the environmental permit

No. It is in the public interest that the authority must process your application before it can be granted. If you have not heard from the local authority within 96 calendar days, please contact us. You can do this online if you applied through the UK Welcomes service or use the contact details below

Apply for a B Environmental Permit

Apply for an A2 Environmental Permit

Tell us about a change to your existing circumstances

Annual subsistence charge

General guidance on completing applications is available at: General Guidance Manual on Application Forms for A2 and B Installations (PDF, 437kb)

Please contact your Local Authority in the first instance.

An applicant who is refused an environmental permit may appeal to the Secretary of State. Appeals must be lodged no later than six months from the date of the decision