Environmental Permits for Manufacturing

Guide summary

Get an environmental permit if your manufacturing releases pollution to air, water or land. Check which type you need with the Environment Agency or your local council. You can face up to 5 years in prison and unlimited fines for operating without a permit.

Check if you need a permit if you release emissions to air, water or land
Contact the Environment Agency for major industrial processes (Part A1)
Contact your local council for smaller processes (Part A2 or B)
Apply for a Standard Rules permit (faster) or Bespoke permit (custom)
Pay application fees from £73 to over £4,000 depending on your activity
Pay annual subsistence charges from £640 to £4,736
Keep a copy of your permit on site at all times
You can be imprisoned for up to 5 years for operating without a permit
Pay fees by credit or debit card, bank transfer, cheque or direct debit

Manufacturing activities that release emissions to air, water, or land may require an environmental permit from the Environment Agency (England) or equivalent regulators in devolved nations.

Environmental Permit Thresholds

When manufacturing activities require environmental permits

Part A1 installations: Regulated by Environment Agency - major industrial processes
Part A2 installations: Regulated by Local Authority
Part B installations: Regulated by Local Authority - air emissions only
Combustion plants (Part A): Over 50 MW thermal input
Combustion plants (Part B): 20-50 MW thermal input
Waste operations: Various thresholds by activity type
Water discharge: Any discharge to surface water or groundwater

Environmental permit fees and charges (England)

Environment Agency application, assessment, and subsistence charges. Fee figures carry an effective date and are refreshed in place each year (evergreen title — ISS-325, avoids annual rate-year orphan churn).

Application and advice charges

Pre-application advice (standard): £100 per hour plus VAT
Pre-application advice (radioactive - technical): £353 per hour
Pre-application advice (radioactive - other): £130 per hour
Time and materials rate: £100 per hour

Assessment charges (added to application fee)

Habitats assessment (standard): £779
Habitats assessment (water discharge/groundwater): £2,218
Fire prevention plan assessment: £1,241
Pest management plan assessment: £1,241
Emissions management plan assessment: £1,241
Odour management plan assessment: £1,246
Noise and vibration management assessment: £1,246
Ammonia modelling (intensive farming): £620
Dust and bio-aerosol plan assessment: £620
Waste recovery plan assessment: £1,231
Water discharge specific substances: £4,114
Groundwater specific substances: £1,685

Other application charges

Advertising (public notice): £538 per application
Application change requiring consultation: £2,075
Repeated information notices: £1,290 each
WEEE exemption registration: £1,221 (3 years)

Variation and surrender charges

Flood risk minor variation: £73
Flood risk other variation: £219
Intensive farming permit review: £380
Low risk surrender: 20% of application charge
Standalone groundwater surrender: £4,698

Annual subsistence charges (examples)

Pre-construction (incinerators): £1,850 per year
First year operation (waste treatment): £766 per year
Mobile plant (land spreading): £640 per year
Standalone directly associated activity: £4,220 per year
Materials facilities: £4,736 per year

Payment methods: Credit/debit card (not Amex), electronic transfer, cheque, GOV.UK Pay, or direct debit (subsistence only).

Environmental permit offences and penalties

EPR 2016 Regulation 38-39 penalties and Environment Agency enforcement options.

Criminal offences under EPR 2016

Operating without a required environmental permit or breaching permit conditions is a criminal offence under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.

Operating without permit (Reg 38(1)): Up to 5 years imprisonment and unlimited fine
Breaching permit conditions (Reg 38(2)): Up to 5 years imprisonment and unlimited fine
Flood risk offences: Up to 2 years imprisonment and unlimited fine
False or misleading information (Reg 38(4)): Up to 2 years imprisonment and unlimited fine
Exemption violations (Reg 38(5)): £500 fine (Level 2 on standard scale)
Summary conviction maximum: 12 months imprisonment

Environment Agency enforcement options

Written warning: Specifies offence, required actions, and consequences
Compliance notice: Requires actions to return to compliance
Restoration notice: Requires offender to remedy environmental damage
Stop notice: Immediate cessation of activities
Fixed monetary penalty (business): £300 (50% discount if paid within 28 days)
Fixed monetary penalty (individual): £100 (50% discount if paid within 28 days)
Variable monetary penalty: Unlimited (from 11 December 2023)
Enforcement undertaking: Voluntary remediation offer (no criminal record if successful)

Cost recovery: The Environment Agency will seek to recover all costs of investigations, enforcement proceedings, and remedial works through Enforcement Cost Recovery Notices.

Environmental Permit Application Requirements

Key information for environmental permit applications

Permit types: Standard Rules (pre-set conditions, faster) or Bespoke (custom conditions for complex activities)
Pre-application advice: Recommended for bespoke permits (£100-£1,000 fee)
Required documents: Site plan, process description, emissions data, management system, competence evidence
Standard Rules timeline: 8-10 weeks processing
Bespoke timeline: 4-6 months (includes public consultation)
Site requirements: Keep permit copy on site, display permit number on waste transfer documentation

Legal basis

Primary legislation and key regulations

Environment Act 1995 Primary 1995 · UK-wide Environmental Protection Act 1990 Primary 1990 · UK-wide Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 SI 2016 · England & Wales

Browse UK legislation legislation.gov.uk

Official guidance

Medium combustion plant permits (GOV.UK) (opens in a new tab)

Environment Agency

Ancient woodland, ancient trees and veteran trees - planning advice (opens in a new tab)

Natural England

Apply for a Part A(1) environmental permit (opens in a new tab)

Environment Agency

Hedgerow regulation and management (GOV.UK guidance) (opens in a new tab)

Natural England

New nuclear power plants: Generic design assessment guidance for requesting parties (opens in a new tab)

Publication · Environment Agency

Check if you need an environmental permit (opens in a new tab)

Environment Agency

Environmental Permits for Manufacturing

Legal basis

Official guidance

Related guides in Environmental Permits

Apply for an environmental permit

Comply with farming environmental regulations

Control and monitor air emissions

Check if you need an environmental permit

Get an environmental permit for intensive livestock