Environmental Permits

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 

Find out more about Environmental Permits 

Trade Associations 

EUGO website (external link)GOV.UK website (external link)