Your monthly update on legislation, guidance, interesting news articles, and webinars from the environmental sector.
Upcoming Legislation
Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Amendment) Order 2026
This order amended the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 and came into effect in August 2026. The amendments expand permitted development rights for solar panels; aiming to support the uptake of plug-in solar panels. The amendments define and regulate plug-in solar systems, setting out where they are not permitted and specifying material restrictions.
This legislation will apply only in England.
For the full legislation, click here.
Source: Greenspace
Green Gas Support Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2026
The Green Gas Support Scheme provides tariff payments for biomethane produced and injected to the grid. Qualifying participants are required to register to claim these payments and must meet conditions set, specifically relating to the sustainability of raw material feedstock.
These regulations amend the Green Gas Support Scheme Regulations 2021 and apply from 16 October 2026.
The commissioning deadline for qualifying anaerobic digestion plant is extended by two years to March 2030, and applicants for the scheme will need to apply by March 2028.
Sustainability audit reports are required to be prepared and submitted to the regulator annually for all GGSS plants, removing the previous requirement to report on the date in the year the plant was registered with the GGSS.
This legislation will apply only in Great Britain.
For the full legislation, click here.
Source: Greenspace
Energy Performance of Buildings (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2026
The amendments introduced will defer reforms to Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) in Scotland to April 2028, rather than October 2026 as previously planned.
Existing EPCs under the current, original format are able to be used until April 2029.
For the full legislation, click here.
Source: Greenspace
Guidance
EPR for packaging: what you must do as a ‘small producer’
This guidance provides details on how small producers register and what they must collect, report and pay under the extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging regulations.
This guidance has been updated to amend information about registration fees and registration deadlines.
The link to this guidance can be found here.
Source: Gov.uk
How to comply with packaging recycling obligations as a large producer
This guidance provides details on recycling obligations under extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging, including how to acquire packaging waste recycling notes (PRNs) and packaging waste export recycling notes (PERNs), and how to submit a certificate or statement of compliance.
Updates to the guidance include clarification of the process for acquiring packaging waste recycling notes (PRNs) and packaging waste export recycling notes (PERNs).
The link to this guidance can be found here.
Source: Gov.uk
Compliance with the packaging producer recycling obligations in 2026: RPS 383
This RPS applies to large producers and compliance schemes which are required to meet the producer responsibility recycling obligations in the Packaging Regulations, it only applies to the 2026 compliance year.
As a minimum the following proportions of the recycling obligations set out below must be met:
- Plastic – 83% of the statutory recycling obligation.
- Steel – 92% of the statutory recycling obligation.
- Wood – 90% of the statutory recycling obligation.
Individuals/organisations must:
- continue to meet their full obligation for the other packaging materials,
- keep records for 5 years from the date of the last use of this RPS to demonstrate, compliance with this RPS and make these records available to the Environment Agency on request.
This regulatory position statement (RPS) does not change the legal requirement to:
- register, if required, as a large producer in line with the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024 (‘the Packaging Regulations’),
- report packaging data in line with the Packaging Regulations,
- comply with recycling obligations.
The Environment Agency will not normally take enforcement action if you meet the requirements in this RPS.
The Environment Agency will withdraw this RPS on 31 January 2027.
This regulatory position does not apply to any other legal requirements.
The link to this guidance can be found here.
Source: Gov.uk
Using waste codes for sludge materials: RPS 231
This RPS applies to some exemptions and permits for the treatment, storage and land spreading of certain waste types not covered under them.
The exemptions and permits this RPS applies to are:
- T21 waste exemption: recover waste at a wastewater treatment works,
- S3 waste exemption: storing sludge,
- SR2010 No 17: storage of waste to be used in land treatment,
- SR2010 No 5: mobile plant for the reclamation, restoration or land improvement,
- SR2010 No 6: mobile plant for land spreading of sewage sludge.
If you operate under a bespoke permit, you cannot use this RPS.
This RPS was updated in October 2026 to extend the review date to 30 September 2029.
See the full RPS here, for the full list of conditions to comply with.
Source: Gov.uk
Use of manufactured topsoil: RPS 190
This RPS applies to the storage and use of manufactured topsoil made from waste or a mixture of waste and non-waste, including PAS 100 quality protocol compliant compost.
This RPS was updated in October 2026 to amend the ‘Things to note’ section, adding ‘where topsoil manufactured from waste materials meets BS3882:2015 it may still be considered a waste material’.
The Environment Agency will review this RPS by 1 July 2029
See the full RPS here, for the full list of conditions to comply with.
Source: Gov.uk
Use of waste clay in the construction of slurry lagoons or water storage reservoirs: RPS 91
This RPS relates to the use of waste clay (waste code 17 05 04) in the construction of slurry lagoons or water storage reservoirs.
This RPS was reviewed in October and extended to 14 October 2027.
See the full RPS here, for the full list of conditions to comply with.
Source: Gov.uk
Articles
Flicking the switch to heat Seaham homes with mine water energy
An estimated 750 homes are set to be supplied with low-carbon heat extracted from naturally warm mine water by a new energy centre in Seaham Garden Village. The Mining Remediation Authority’s Dawdon treatment scheme recently completed the commissioning phase, and the network is confirmed to be operational.
This is the latest mine water heat network to go live in Great Britain, providing families with clean, secure and affordable heating powered by water from abandoned coal mines underground.
Mine water is naturally heated by geothermal processes deep underground and maintains a stable temperature year-round. It also brings environmental benefits, with an estimated saving of 2,600 tonnes of CO2 annually, equating to nearly 65,000 tonnes of carbon emissions avoided over 25 years.
The Executive Director of Development and Asset Management at Karbon Homes, said:
“Lowering the carbon footprint of our homes and operations, whilst also positively impacting the lives of our customers is really important to us. Residents have been moving in since the beginning of the year, and they are delighted with their new homes and the mine water heating”.
It is estimated that 25% of Great Britain’s homes and businesses are located above former coal mines, creating significant potential for further schemes that would repurpose the country’s industrial heritage and benefit communities.
The scheme supports the government’s Plan for Change mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower, working towards at least 95% clean power generation by 2030 while protecting billpayers and creating good jobs across the country.
Source: GOV.uk
For more details, click here.
No hiding place: new tracking system exposes waste criminals like never before
From the 1st of October, the new Digital Waste Tracking Regulations 2026 come into force and require over 12,000 permitted waste sites across England to report, in near real-time, every load of waste that they receive.
The new system is designed to provide a digital audit trail, which exposes suspicious patterns, prevents the falsifying of documents and the ability for criminals to bury the evidence of illegal waste dumping.
Waste generated by a household or on an industrial site, should be picked up by a licensed carrier who is responsible for taking it to a permitted site for proper disposal. Following implementation, this system will help track down where a criminal network may be infiltrating the waste journey.
Sites receiving waste will now need to record information like the details of the waste carrier and the waste classification code, which describes the type of waste being discarded.
A new Waste Crime Crackdown Group, chaired by Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle, will also bring regulators and law enforcement together to dismantle criminal operations and deliver results.
Further rollout of the Digital Waste Tracking service is planned from spring 2027, as it becomes available to include waste collectors.
Source: GOV.uk
For more details, click here.
Enforcement Action
Suspended prison sentence for rogue skip hire operator
A skip operator in the Midlands has received a 14-week prison sentence suspended for two years after pleading guilty to mismanagement of a site which led to a serious fire. He was also ordered to pay over £500 in fines and costs.
He was ordered not to carry out any work for two years involving waste activities, whether as a volunteer, sole trader, partner, or director and he cannot apply for a waste carrier licence or apply to be registered with the Environment Agency for any waste exemption.
The operator pleaded guilty to operating a waste facility outside its permitted boundaries, accepting unpermitted waste, storing it unsafely and accepting waste after his permit had been suspended.
Rutland County Council initially cancelled a contract over concerns about the volume of waste on site, and the Environment Agency served a suspension order, prohibiting further importation of waste. The next day, a fire broke out in a waste pile four metres tall, believed to have been caused by a discarded lithium-ion battery. It took fire crews more than three hours to extinguish.
The Environment Agency began proceedings to revoke the operator’s permit, but the site was then sold in August 2024, and the new operator cleared the site.
The Environment Manager for Environment Agency in Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, said:
“The Environment Agency will pursue any person or company that fails to uphold the law to protect nature and will continue to press for the strongest possible penalties. Failure to comply with these legal requirements is a serious offence that can damage the environment and harm human health”.
Source: GOV.uk
For the full article, click here.
£12,000 fine for Cheltenham waste operator for disposal of diesel
The operator of a waste site in Cheltenham has been fined £47,000 after deliberately disposing of red diesel from one of its screening machines at its yard in Lower Slaughter in November 2022.
HMRC issued a fine for the unlawful use of red diesel, and the Environment Agency subsequently charged the operator with environmental offences relating to the discharge of fuel onto the ground.
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said:
“The operator deliberately caused pollution by pouring red diesel, which it was illegally using, onto the ground. It was a reckless act to avoid detection by HMRC. Where we find evidence of illegal polluting activity, we will not hesitate to take enforcement action”.
Source: GOV.uk
For the full article, click here.
Illegal Waste Site Operator in Sheffield Sentenced
The operator of an illegal waste site in Sheffield has been found guilty of operating a regulated facility without the required environmental permit.
The EA first found a large amount of mixed waste when they visited the site in July 2022. Further visits found waste including fridges, other electrical items and inert waste was accumulating as well as evidence of burning.
The offender was informed it was an offence to store waste without a permit, and he was given six weeks to clear it. Further inspections in early 2023 confirmed the waste had not been cleared and was still accumulating. The EA subsequently served a formal notice requiring the site to be cleared by June 2023, but this was not complied with.
In late 2024 and early 2025, complaints were received about the burning of waste, and the operator was advised by Sheffield City Council to cease burning, which was impacting residents.
The offender received a 39-week suspended prison sentence, 180 hours of unpaid work, a victim surcharge of £187 and £2,000 contribution towards prosecution costs.
Two co-defendants related to the case were sentenced on 15 April 2026. The landowner was fined £8,000, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £2,000 and costs of £5,442. A director of the company was also sentenced to a 12-month community order with 140 hours of unpaid work. He was ordered to pay costs of £5,442 and a victim surcharge of £114.
The site has now been cleared following EA action.
Source: GOV.uk
For the full article, click here.
Consultation
Gas system in transition: recovery of gas network costs during the transition
This consultation asks for views on how gas network and disconnection costs should be recovered as gas demand changes. It seeks evidence on how these costs may develop over time, the principles that should guide their allocation and recovery, and the implications of different approaches for consumers, investors, network operators and the wider energy system.
The call for evidence will help build the evidence base to inform future policy development. It does not propose specific solutions or indicate preferred policy outcomes at this stage.
The consultation closes at 11:59am on 23 December 2026.
It applies to England, Scotland and Wales.
The link to the consultation can be found here.
Cura Terrae Services
Management and Compliance Services
Cura Terrae offers the expertise and guidance needed to navigate the ever-evolving regulations and growing expectations for environmental responsibility. We can support you in navigating these challenges effectively.
From initial assessments to ongoing compliance monitoring, our multidisciplinary team delivers practical, actionable advice tailored to your unique requirements. Whether addressing specific operational environmental requirements, ensuring adherence to environmental laws, or supporting strategic sustainability goals, we provide the tools and insights to help your organisation operate responsibly, efficiently, and sustainably.
Our holistic approach integrates compliance and environmental stewardship into your operations, empowering you to reduce risks, improve operational performance, and demonstrate your commitment to sustainable practices.
Our services and support will allow you to focus on your core business activities while we handle the finer details of environmental compliance.
- Environmental Permit Applications and Support
- Environmental Permit Applications
- Medium Combustion Plant (MCP) Permit Applications
- Permit Variations
- Permit Surrenders
- Regulation 61 BAT Assessments
- Environmental Permit Training
- Environmental Permit Application Gap Analysis
- Flood Risk Activity Permit (FRAP) Applications
- Trade Effluent Discharge Consent (TEDC) Applications and Variations
- H1 Risk Assessments
- Dust Management Plans (DMPs)
- Fire Prevention Plans (FPPs)
- Odour Management Plans (OMPs)
- Environmental Audits and Inspections
- Environmental Support and Assistance
- Waste and Materials Management
- Carbon Net Zero and Climate Change Management
- Environmental Legal Compliance Support Service
- Environmental Management Systems (EMS)
- Environmental Due Diligence (EDD)
- Construction Environmental Management Plans (CEMPs)
For further information, click here.
Our independent Trade Effluent Performance Audit provides an objective review of your trade effluent management, helping you to improve operational performance, identify opportunities to reduce unnecessary costs and ensure your site is well prepared for the future.
Get in touch to discuss how a Trade Effluent Performance Audit can support your business. Contact Rebecca Chapman (rebecca.chapman@cura-terrae.com).
Events
Beyond the Text: Translating COP Outcomes into Organisational Strategy (Digital event)
Monday 23 November, 2:30 – 3:30pm (GMT)
This webinar will discuss the final COP outcomes, examine the implications for national legislation, and outline how to embed new global targets directly into your organisation’s risk management and governance frameworks.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Sustainability (Digital Event)
Tuesday 24 November, 12:30 – 1:30pm (GMT)
This webinar delves into the newly published ISEP Principles for the Responsible Use and Application of AI in professional practice. The session aims to equip environmental and sustainability professionals with a foundational framework to navigate the rapid integration of artificial intelligence responsibly.
The presentation will cover the seven core principles of governance, accountability, transparency, compliance, accuracy, competence, and minimisation. It will help attendees navigate the use of AI technologies while upholding rigorous professional standards.
Attendees will learn:
- How to analyse the seven foundational AI principles launched by ISEP and understand their direct application to environmental and sustainability practice.
- How the Advice Note builds on ISEP’s 2025 advice note on “The use of Artificial Intelligence in Environmental Impact Assessment”.
