If you hold an environmental permit, you’re required to operate in line with the Best Available Techniques (BAT) set for your sector — and to keep operating in line with them as those standards are revised. Regulation 61 of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 lets the regulatory body request evidence that you’re still compliant, and BAT conclusions are reviewed and updated periodically as techniques and thresholds evolve.
Our consultants assess your operations against the current BAT conclusions and BRef documents for your sector, identify any gaps, and prepare the evidence you need to demonstrate compliance — whether that’s in response to a formal Regulation 61 notice or as part of your own annual compliance review.
What is a Regulation 61 BAT assessment?
This service ensures your business or installation is 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 that are the best for preventing or minimising emissions and impacts on the environment.
If you hold an environmental permit, you should be adhering to the Best Available Techniques for your installation or activities. Regulatory bodies set a deadline for compliance against each revised BAT BRef document and your business should be aware of this and familiar with the current BRef standards, or you risk being in breach of your permit.
As part of Regulation 61 you may receive a notice requiring more information about your installation or activities from the EA, to demonstrate that you’re adhering to the Best Available Technique Conclusions (and therefore complying with your environmental permit). We can help with this.
Anyone holding an environmental permit should carry out a compliance assessment or review on an annual basis, to confirm they’re compliant with the revised sector BRef documents — and therefore their permit. This is what regulatory bodies now expects as standard practice.
What to expect from a BAT Assessment
- We familiarise you with the current BRef standards, broken down into simple steps, so you’re clear on the exact documents and evidence needed to show compliance.
- Meetings with an experienced consultant and a breakdown of how well you’re managing compliance.
- BRef requirements explained in plain terms, with jargon broken down.
- Template documents and guidance for the evidence you need to prepare (for example, a climate change adaptation plan).
- Review of your completed documentation by an experienced consultant.
- Follow-up meetings and reviews to make sure your compliance evidence holds up to scrutiny.
Key benefits of a BAT Assessment
- Confirms your compliance
- Reduces the risk of being found in breach of your permit
- Saves time — we translate BAT conclusions and documentation requirements into plain, workable steps
- Access to our consultants on a one-to-one basis
