Environmental permitting explained

The aim of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 (the EP Regulations) is to streamline the legislative system for industrial and waste installations into a single permitting structure for those activities which have the potential to cause harm to human health or the environment.

The permitting system will aim to protect the environment, encourage best practice in the operation of regulated facilities, minimise the regulatory administrative burden to operators while fully implementing the requirements of EU legislation.

What is LA-IPPC and LAPPC?

There are a number of installations regulated by the local authority. The first is the Local Authority Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (LA-IPPC) otherwise known as Part A2 activities. These installations will be required to control emissions to air, land, water and other local environmental impacts. The second type is the Local Authority Pollution Prevention and Control (LAPPC) otherwise known as; Part B activities, solvent emission activities and small waste incineration plant. The Part B installations are permitted under this regime to control emission related to air only. The solvent Emission activities and small waste incineration plant have to control emission to air, land and water.

What is an activity?

An activity is an industrial activity listed within the regulations which form part of an ‘installation'. Installation means a stationary technical unit where one or more activities are carried on, and any other location on the same site where any other directly associated activities are carried on.

Different types of activities are listed within; Schedule 1, Part 2; Schedule 13 and Schedule 14 of the EP Regulations. They are broadly broken down into industrial sectors, grouping similar activities together. Activities can be carried out in installations or by mobile plant.

What is an installation?

Annex III of the EP Regulations explains the term ‘installation'. In summary, an installation comprises any relevant unit carrying out Part A2 or Part B activity, a solvent emission activity or a small waste incineration plant. This includes any directly associated activities which have a technical connection with the activities and which could have an effect on pollution. Once the extent of an installation has been established, each activity (or associated activity) must be included in the permit. Any reference to 'installation' should be taken to include mobile plant.

What is a mobile plant?

A mobile plant, for the purposes of LA-IPPC and LAPPC, is any plant which is designed to move or be moved on roads or otherwise, and is used to carry on any activity.

What is a regulated facility?

A regulated facility is the collective term used in the EP Regulations to refer to installations, mobile plant and waste operations.

What is a permit?

Some activities could harm the environment or human health unless they are controlled and the EP Regulations require operators to obtain an environmental permit in order to:

  • protect the environment and human health
  • deliver permitting and compliance effectively and efficiently in a way that provides increased clarity and minimises the administrative burden on both the regulator and the operators of facilities
  • encourage regulators to promote best practice in the operation of regulated facilities; and
  • continue to fully implement European legislation

A permit is a document issued by a local authority to an operator allowing him or her to operate an installation or mobile plant subject to conditions. A permit will not be granted if the local authority considers that the applicant will not be the person who will have control over the operation of the installation or mobile plant. The operator must, after the grant of the permit, ensure that the installation or mobile plant is operated so as to comply with the conditions of the granted permit.

The role of the regulator (Salford City Council) is to ensure that the requirements of the permit are complied with.

Do you need a permit?

The A(1) and (2) permits and small waste incineration plant control activities which have the potential to impact on a wide range of environmental areas including:

  • emissions to air, land and water
  • energy management
  • waste
  • the consumption of materials
  • noise, vibration and odour
  • the prevention of accidents

Schedule 14 solvent emission permits control emissions to air, land and water, waste and solvent usage controls. Part B permits control activities which cause emissions to air.

A list of activities that are regulated by the local authority can be found at the bottom of this page.

Downloadable documents

If you are unable to view documents of these types, our downloads page provides links to viewing software.

Rate this page