Environmental Permit - Applying for a Licence

Environmental Permit - Applying for a Licence
Licence Summary

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
  • 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
Eligibility Criteria

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 may be payable. 

 

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.

Regulation Summary

A summary of the regulation relating to this licence

Application Evaluation Process

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.

Does Tacit Approval apply?

Yes. This means that you will be able to act as though your application is granted if you have not heard from the local authority by the end of the target completion period of 4 months from when the application has been accepted by the local authority as ‘duly made’. This period is extended if the local authority needs to request further information from the applicant.

Apply online

If you wish to apply for an Environmental Permit or to change the details of an existing registration, download a copy of the relevant form below:

 

Failed Application Redress

Please contact your Local Authority in the first instance.

 

An applicant who is refused an environmental permit may appeal to the appropriate authority. In England the appropriate authority is the Secretary of State and in Wales are the Welsh Ministers. Appeals must be lodged no later than six months from the date of the decision.

Licence Holder Redress

Please contact your Local Authority in the first instance.

 

If an application to vary, transfer or surrender an environmental permit has been refused or if the applicant objects to conditions imposed on the environmental permit they may appeal to the appropriate authority.

 

Appeals must be lodged in relation to a regulator initiated variation, a suspension notice or an enforcement notice, not later than two months from the date of the variation or notice and in any other case not later than six months from the date of the decision.

Consumer Complaint

We would always advise that in the event of a complaint the first contact is made with the trader by you - preferably in the form a letter (with proof of delivery). If that has not worked, if you are located in the UK, Citizens Advice will give you advice. From outside the UK contact the UK European Consumer Centre.

Other Redress

Compensation maybe payable in relation to conditions affecting certain interests in land.

Trade Associations

Federation of Environmental Trade Associations (FETA)

 

Environmental Industries Commission (EIC)

 

Environmental Services Associations (ESA)

Please Note - Torfaen County Borough Council (The Council) is under a duty to protect the public funds which it administers and to this end may use the information you provide within Torfaen County Borough Council for the prevention and detection of fraud. The Council may also share this information with other bodies administering or in receipt of public funds solely for these purposes. For further information, visit the National Fraud Initiative area of the website.

Last Modified: 27/02/2023
For more information contact:

Torfaen Business Direct

Tel: 01633 648735

Email: businessdirect@torfaen.gov.uk

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