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Environmental Permit Applications and Support

Operating legally in the United Kingdom often requires businesses to obtain environmental permits and consents. Navigating these applications can be challenging. We provide comprehensive support throughout the entire permitting process, from identifying the necessary permits to liaising with the Environment Agency or other regulatory bodies on your behalf, streamlining the process. 

Our Environmental Permit Applications and Support services help businesses secure the necessary environmental permits and consents required by law. We offer expert guidance in identifying, preparing, and submitting applications for environmental permits, as well as support in permit variations, surrendering permits, and developing essential management plans. With our service, you can focus on your core business activities while we handle the finer details of environmental compliance. 

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Environmental Permit Applications

What is our Environmental Permit Application service?

You’ll need a permit if your business operations could:

  • Pollute the air, water or land.
  • Increase flood risk.
  • Adversely affect land drainage.

When your business activities have the potential to impact the environment, securing the correct environmental permit is essential. Our services help you identify the appropriate permits for your operations, guide you through the application process, and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. We liaise with the Environment Agency or other regulatory bodies on your behalf to streamline the application process and minimise delays, giving you peace of mind that your business is operating legally and responsibly.

Key benefits of our Environmental Permit Application Service

  • Ensure your business has the correct permit
  • Determine which permit is appropriate for your activities
  • Receive application support
  • Expert guidance during the application process
  • Liaison service to ensure efficiency with the Environment Agency or regulatory body

What to expect from our Environmental Permit Application Service?

You are breaking the law if you operate without a permit when you should have one. To give you peace of mind that your business has the correct permits, our environmental consultants can:

  • Identify the permits, discharge consent or exemptions required for your business activities and processes.
  • Prepare and submit application forms and supporting documentation.
  • Liaison with the relevant regulatory bodies on your behalf
  • Collate and produce a desk top site condition report.
  • Carry out risk assessments (i.e. H1, Best Available Technique).
  • Develop odour and noise management plans.

There are a number of different permits and, depending on your activity and the pollution risk, you need to apply to the relevant regulatory body (i.e. Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales) or your local council. We can advise who you need to apply to and guide you through the entire application process, where you’ll need to demonstrate that you have the policies and procedures in place to protect the environment and comply with the conditions a permit will impose on you.

Our service is delivered by a team of environmental experts, with experience working for and with a regulatory body, who will ensure your business operates with the correct permit, allowing you to concentrate on your core activities.

Medium Combustion Plant Environmental Permit Service

What is a Medium Combustion Plant Environmental Permit?

If your business’s activities include the operation of a medium combustion plant (MCP), you may require an environmental permit as regulated under the Medium Combustion Plant Directive (MCPD). A MCP is any plant or equipment used to burn (combust) materials with a rated thermal input between 1 and 50MWth.

Operators of MCPs need to:

  • Hold a permit by the relevant deadline.
  • Comply with conditions within the permit.
  • Monitor emissions to demonstrate compliance to Emission Limit Values (ELVs) (MCPD stack testing).
  • Keep records for a minimum of 6 years to demonstrate compliance.
  • Pay an annual subsistence charge.

The deadline for having an MCP permit depends on when the plant was installed. From 20 December 2018, all new MCPs are required to have an environmental permit. For existing MCP (operating before 20 December 2018) it depends on the rated thermal input:

  • You must have a permit after 1 January 2024 if the rated thermal input exceeds 5MW.
  • You must have a permit after 1 January 2028 if the rated thermal input is less than 5MW.

You are breaking the law if you operate without a permit when you should have one. Our experts can help you understand if you need a permit and guide you through the application process.

What are the benefits of our Medium Combustion Plant Environmental Permit service?

  • Understand whether the need for a MCP environmental permit applies to you
  • Ensure compliance with the MCPD
  • Manage pollution and reduce harm to the environment
  • Contribute to better air quality and human health
  • Assists in ensuring that Emission Limit Values are adhered to
  • Benefit from our consultants’ wealth of experience and expertise
  • Concentrate on achieving your business goals

What to expect from our Medium Combustion Plant Permit service

Our environmental consultants will determine what type of MCP permit your business requires (i.e. standard or bespoke). Then we will:

  • Prepare and submit application forms and supporting documentation.
  • Liaise with regulatory bodies on your behalf and attend meetings.
  • Carry out risk assessments.

Our experience in applying for and obtaining various environmental permits provides us with the expertise to support and guide you through the entire application process.

We can advise on the best way to demonstrate to regulatory bodies that you have the correct policies and procedures in place to protect the environment and operate under the conditions of an environmental permit.

Delivered by a team of experienced environmental experts, this service will ensure your business operates in line with regulatory requirements, allowing you to focus on your core activities.

Permit Variations

What is our Permit Variation service?

If you want to do an activity that isn’t currently covered by your environmental permit, you must apply to have it added.

As your business evolves, you may need to modify your existing environmental permit to cover new activities or make administrative changes. Our Permit Variations service ensures that your permit accurately reflects your current operations, helping you avoid compliance issues. We guide you through the process of applying for variations, liaising with regulatory bodies to ensure a smooth and efficient process. Whether you need to add an activity, correct a detail, or transfer a permit, our experts are here to assist.

What are the benefits of our Permit Variation service?

  • Ensure your permit covers all risks
  • Make changes to your permit seamlessly
  • Expert guidance throughout the procedure
  • Working with a dedicated consultant ensures your application is completed as efficiently as possible

What to expect from our Permit Variation Service

Our experienced team of experts can ensure this is carried out as efficiently as possible. Not only will this ensure a smooth process, but it will also give you assurance that your business remains compliant under the rules of the permit.

You should apply to vary your permit when making changes to your operations that require amendments to the conditions or addition of new conditions within your permit. This can include altering your operations at your facility or changing your company details.

For example, if you plan to expand your operations, change the types of waste you handle, or modify your discharge to water, you will need to vary your permit.

Your dedicated consultant will ensure that all the updated information is provided and the correct supporting documentation is sent to the regulatory body.

It is also possible to transfer your permit, or part of your permit, to somebody else at any time. Your consultant can help you to gather all the relevant information from your business – and the person you are transferring to – to ensure a smooth process.

To vary or transfer a permit, the fees vary with the regulatory bodies depending on the type of variation that is required (i.e. minor, normal or substantial). Your consultant can advise you on any fees you can expect to incur so there are no unexpected surprises.

Surrendering Permits

What is our Surrendering Permits service?

If your business no longer requires an environmental permit, our Surrendering Permits service provides expert guidance on surrendering your permit with minimal disruption.

What are the benefits of our Surrendering Permits service?

  • Ensure that your surrender application meets all legal and technical standards
  • Reduce the risk of rejection or delays
  • Efficient liaison with regulatory bodies – save time and miscommunication

What to expect from our Surrendering Permits service?

If you wish to surrender your permit, our team of experts can guide you through the process to ensure it is carried out correctly and quickly.

We ensure that the surrender process is handled correctly and efficiently, liaising with the relevant authorities on your behalf. Our consultants will help you evaluate your options and ensure that surrendering your permit is the right decision for your business.

You can surrender or part surrender your permit if you:

  • No longer need it. For example, if you’ve stopped doing the activity your permit pertained to.
  • Mothballing certain activities that fall under your permit.

In some instances, making changes to your business doesn’t necessarily mean you have to surrender your permit. We can discuss the options with you to ensure that you make the right decision for your organisation. For example, you don’t need to surrender your permit if you want to:

  • Transfer your permit from one legal entity to another.
  • Remove or add activities from/to your permit.

In these cases, our Permit Variation Service can instead help you and guide you through any necessary processes.

Regulation 61 BAT Assessment

What is a Regulation 61 BAT assessment?

This service ensures that your business or installations are compliant with the revised BAT conclusions from the relevant BRef documents, under Regulation 61 of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.

BAT stands for “Best Available Technique”. ‘Best available techniques’ (BAT) means the available techniques which are the best for preventing or minimising emissions and impacts on the environment.

If you have an environmental permit, you should be adhering to the Best Available Techniques for your installation or activities. The Environment Agency will have set a deadline to be complaint against the revised BAT BRef documents – your business should be aware of this and you should be familiar with the new BRef standards, or you may risk being in breach of your permit.

As part of Regulation 61 you may receive a notice requiring more information about your installations or activities from the EA, to prove that you are adhering to the Best Available Technique Conclusions (therefore being compliant with your environmental permit). We can help with this.

Anyone with an environmental permit should conduct a compliance assessment/review on an annual basis  – to determine you are compliant with your revised sector BRef documents and therefore your permit. This is what is now expected by the EA.

What to expect from a BAT Assessment

  • We will familiarise you with the new Bref standards – broken down into simple steps – You will be clear on the exact documents and pieces of evidence that are required for you to show compliance to regulatory bodies
  • Meetings with one of our experienced consultants and a breakdown of how well you are managing your compliance
  • We explain and simplify what exactly the BRef Standards are asking for- any jargon is broken down and explained
  • You receive examples of the documentation you need to prepare, providing template documents and guidance on how to complete them (e.g. for a climate change adaptation plan
  • Once you have completed your documentation, our experienced consultant will review it
  • Follow-up meetings and reviews ensure that documentation to prove your compliance is airtight

Key Benefits of a BAT Assessment

  • Ensures your compliance
  • Avoids the possibility of you being in breach of your permit
  • Saves you time and energy – we communicate the BAT conclusions and documentation for you in a clear, understandable manner
  • Access to our consultants on a 1-2-1 basis

Permit Training

What is Permit Training?

Understanding your environmental permits is crucial for maintaining compliance. Our Permit Training service offers tailored training sessions for your team, covering the specific requirements and responsibilities associated with your permits. Our experts will equip your staff with the knowledge they need to manage your environmental obligations effectively, reducing the risk of non-compliance and potential fines.

What are the key benefits of Permit Training?

  • Full understanding of your permit(s) to remain compliant
  • Knowledge of what your permit requires of your business or organisation
  • Flexible delivery around client business needs and the needs of the candidate
  • Tailored course – specific to your permit
  • Delivered by a practicing environmental consultants who has experience across all sectors

What to expect from Permit Training

We cover the basics of environmental permitting, environmental permit requirements and how to meet them in a tailored training course, delivered flexibly around the business and organisational needs.

Unlike most training providers, our dedicated training team is comprised of practicing environmental consultants. As part of their day-to-day role, our trainers work with some of the UK’s largest organisations to help them maintain compliance with environmental legislation. This means that our team is positioned perfectly to deliver training content as well as real-world advice and working case-studies.

Permit training

Permit Application Gap Analysis

What is a Permit Application Gap Analysis?

Applying for an environmental permit can be complex and time-consuming. Our Permit Application Gap Analysis service identifies any missing information or documentation in your application, ensuring that your submission meets all regulatory requirements. By conducting a thorough review and providing expert advice, we help streamline the application process, reducing delays and increasing the likelihood of approval.

We also audit existing permits to ascertain compliance.

What are the benefits of a Permit Application Gap Analysis?

  • Ensure your permit application process meets the requirements
  • Initial gap analysis ensures you have all the information
  • Guidance from an experienced environmental consultant
  • Streamline the entire permit application process
  • Reduce delays in receiving your permit

What to expect from a Permit Application Gap Analysis?

Our team of environmental consultants can take away some of the uncertainty and delay by carrying out an initial gap analysis.

A gap analysis can be carried out by our experienced experts who are equipped with comprehensive knowledge of the permit application process and already established relationships with the relevant regulatory bodies. They will review the application you propose to submit, along with any supporting information and evidence. If there are any gaps or improvements that could be made, this will all be detailed in an action plan.

Using our thorough service can help reduce the amount of time your business has to spend on the application process – and reduce any delays in receiving your permit from the regulatory body. Our understanding of environmental issues, regulatory requirements and the environmental permit application process experience will result in a smoother and streamlined experience for you.

Flood Risk Activity Permit Applications

What is our Flood Risk Activity Permit Application service?

If your business involves activities near rivers, flood defences, or floodplains, you may need a Flood Risk Activity permit. Our service guides you through the application process, ensuring that all necessary precautions are in place to minimise flood risks.

We help you prepare the required documentation, liaise with the relevant regulatory body and ensure that your application is completed efficiently, reducing the risk of delays or non-compliance.

What are the key benefits of our Flood Risk Activity Permit Application service?

  • Apply for a Flood Risk Activity permit required for all flood risk activities
  • Expert guidance through the process
  • Prepares you to have everything in place to remain compliant
  • Liaison service with the relevant regulatory body.
  • Ensures that your application is completed efficiently

What to expect from our Flood Risk Activity Application service

Our consultants can guide you with your Flood Risk Activity application. They can:

  • Determine whether your business will be able to complete a successful application
  • Fill in the application form and provide any supporting material
  • Completing environmental risk assessments
  • Update relevant method statements to ensure environmental risks are incorporated.

H1 Risk Assessments

What is a H1 Risk Assessment?

Conducting an H1 Risk Assessment may be necessary to demonstrate that your business operations do not pose unacceptable risks to the environment. Our service involves evaluating potential environmental impacts to assist in helping you develop effective risk management strategies.

You may require a H1 Risk Assessment if:

  • Applying for a new bespoke permit
  • Varying your existing permit to cover an increase in emissions to air and water, for example, when adding an additional stack or using a new chemical substance

What are the key benefits of our H1 Risk Assessments service?

  •  H1 Risk Assessments can be highly complicated for businesses who don’t use them – Our consultants complete this tool on your behalf
  • Receive expert advice on mitigating environmental risks
  • Save time – ensure your permit application is robust and holds up to scrutiny

What to expect from a H1 Risk Assessment?

Our consultants can complete the H1 risk assessment on your behalf to screen out proposed substance releases to various media to ascertain if they will have a significant or adverse impact on the environment.

The outputs will be a completed H1 risk assessment showing whether substances have screened out and a summary report outlying the information that was recorded into the H1 tool and an interpretation of the results.

Dust Management Plans

What is a Dust Management Plan (DMP)?

DMPs are required as part of a planning and or permit application. Dust emissions can be a significant environmental concern, particularly in industries such as construction and waste. Our Dust Management Plan service helps you develop and implement effective strategies to minimise dust emissions and comply with environmental regulations. We assess your site, identify potential sources of dust, and provide practical recommendations for controlling and monitoring dust levels.

What are the key benefits of a Dust Management Plan?

  • Ensure regulatory compliance
  • Minimise the generation and spread of dust
  • Minimise any potential environmental and human health impacts associated with a site’s dust emissions

What to expect from our Dust Management Plan service?

A comprehensive DMP outlines potential sources of dust, assesses the associated risks, and details specific measures to prevent and control dust emissions. These measures can include both operational practices, such as modifying work processes to reduce dust generation, and engineering controls, like installing barriers or using water sprays.

A Dust Management Plan also includes monitoring protocols to ensure that dust levels remain within acceptable limits and compliance with regulatory standards.

It provides a framework for ongoing review and adjustment of dust control strategies to adapt to changing conditions and incorporate new technologies or practices.

During the planning or permit process, a DMP may be required to assess and plan for the control of dust emissions. This ensures that potential environmental impacts are thoroughly evaluated and managed.

A DMP will need to be embedded into your site’s Environmental Management Plan.

Fire Prevention Plans

What is a Fire Prevention Plan?

Fire risks are a serious concern for many businesses, particularly those handling flammable materials. Our Fire Prevention Plan service helps you develop a comprehensive plan to minimise the risk of fire and ensure compliance with environmental permits. We assess your site, identify potential fire hazards, and provide practical recommendations for fire prevention and emergency response.

The EA or equivalent, for example, will request to see and approve your fire prevention plan if:

  • you are making a new permit application
  • you are varying an existing permit and this could lead to an increased fire risk
  • there is a serious risk of a fire occurring, or we have serious concerns about the fire risk posed by your operation

The regulator body may request to see and approve your fire prevention plan if:

  • you are transferring a permit
  • there is a fire incident on your site
  • there is a risk of a fire occurring, or there are concerns about the fire risk posed by your operation

What are the key benefits of our Fire Prevention Plan service?

  • Careful consideration of regulatory standards to comply with all elements of FPP guidance
  • Reviews risks and gain visibility of areas of improvement
  • Help manage fire risks which can otherwise interrupt operations

What to expect from our Fire Prevention Plan service?

Our consultants will ensure that your FPP follows the guidance for your applicable regulatory body. For example, in line with EA guidance on Fire Prevention Plans, our consultants will assist in the development of an FPP that will:

  • Minimise the likelihood of a fire happening
  • Have measures in place for a fire to be extinguished as soon as possible
  • Minimise the spread of fire within the site and to neighbouring site

Odour Management Plans

What is an Odour Management Plan?

You must take measures necessary to prevent odour pollution or minimise it when prevention is not practicable. The appropriate measures to take will depend on your industry sector and your site-specific circumstances.

To ensure your business complies with your environmental permit, we help your business to develop and implement an Odour Management Plan/Odour Risk Assessment.

Our Odour Management Plans service helps you develop and implement strategies to prevent or minimise odour pollution, ensuring compliance with your environmental permit. We provide site-specific recommendations based on your industry sector and liaise with the Environment Agency to secure approval for your plan.

What are the key benefits of our Odour Management Plan service?

  • Develop and implement an odour management plan/risk assessment
  • Remain compliant with your environmental permit
  • Take necessary measures to prevent odour pollution
  • Or minimise it when prevention is not practicable
  • Receive site-specific recommendations from our experts

What to expect from an Odour Management Plan

To ensure your business complies with your environmental permit, we can help your business develop and implement an odour management plan/odour risk assessment. This will ensure your business takes the necessary measures to prevent odour pollution or minimise it when prevention is not practicable.

The appropriate measures to take for odour management depend on your industry sector, and our experienced consultant will take this into account and provide you with site-specific recommendations and actions. Every site is different, so our expert will take all the circumstances, measurements, costs and benefits specific to your business into account.

Your dedicated consultant can liaise with the Environment Agency on your behalf to ensure your odour management plan is approved without delay – and then provide you with specific actions to implement the plan.

Trade Effluent Discharge Consent Applications and Variations

What are Trade Effluent Discharge Consent Application and Variations?

Discharging trade effluent into public sewers requires specific consent from the local water authority. Our Trade Effluent Discharge Consent service ensures that your business remains legally compliant and minimises environmental impact. We prepare the necessary documentation and provide expert guidance throughout the application process.

Trade effluent discharge to a foul sewer is controlled by your local water authority (Sewerage Undertaker) to reduce risks to people, the sewerage network, treatment processes and the environment. For this reason, trade effluent cannot be discharged without prior consent, and doing so constitutes a criminal offence.

What are the key benefits of our Trade Effluent Discharge Consent Applications and Variations service?

  • Gain consent for your business
  • Your organisation remains legally regulated
  • Expert advice and guidance
  • An efficient and smooth application process
  • Ensure your operations are not disrupted by avoidable delays in your application or variation

What to expect from our Trade Effluent Discharge Consent Applications and Variations service?

To ensure your business remains legally compliant and regulated, our team of environmental experts can liaise with your water company to identify if you require a trade effluent discharge consent, or we can assist in variations to existing trade effluent discharge consents. Our experienced consultants can then ensure that the process is dealt with in an efficient manner to avoid disruption to your business activities.

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