Certain industrial processes that emit pollution must have a permit in order to operate. These are called prescribed processes.
You must have an environmental permit if you operate a regulated facility in England or Wales.
A regulated facility includes:
- Installations or mobile plant carrying out listed activities
- Waste operations
- Waste mobile plant
- Mining waste operations
Listed activities include:
- Energy - burning fuel, gasification, liquification and refining activities
- Metals - manufacturing and processing metals
- Minerals - manufacturing lime, cement, ceramics or glass
- Chemicals - manufacturing chemicals, pharmaceuticals or explosives, storing chemicals in bulk
- Waste - incinerating waste, operating landfills, recovering waste
- Solvents - using solvents
- Other - manufacturing paper, pulp and board, treating timber products, coating, treating textiles and printing, manufacturing new tyres, intensive pig and poultry farming
Listed activities are divided into three categories: Part A(1), Part A(2) and Part B.
The permit your business requires depends on the specific processes involved and resulting emissions.
Permits are available from the Environment Agency or from Barnsley Council (The Regulator) depending upon the category your business falls within:
- Part A(1) installations or mobile plant are regulated by the Environment Agency
- Part A(2) and Part B installations or mobile plant are regulated by Barnsley Council, except waste operations carried out at Part B installations which are regulated by the Environment Agency
- Waste operations or waste mobile plant carried on other than at an installation, or by Part A or Part B mobile plants, are regulated by the Environment Agency
- Mining waste operations are regulated by the Environment Agency
More information on industrial air pollution and prescribed processes is available from DEFRA
Eligibility criteria
You can request an application form from us which will vary depending on the activities being carried out.
If the regulator needs more information you will be notified. If no response is received then the application will be deemed to be withdrawn.
The application must be from the operator of the regulated facility.
Fees
Please contact us for a list of the current correct fees.
How the application is evaluated
The regulator will pay regard to the protection of the environment taken as a whole by preventing or reducing emissions into the air, water and land.
The regulator may inform the public of the application and must consider any representations.
The application must be from the operator of the regulated facility and the regulator must be satisfied that they will operate the facility in accordance with the environmental permit.
Will tacit consent apply?
No. It is in the public interest that your application must be processed before it can be granted. We aim to process an application within 4 months. If you have not heard from us within a reasonable period, please contact us.
Public register
A public register of information relating to the permit is kept by either the Environment Agency or by us depending on the type of process.
Please contact us for information from the current public register.
Failed applications
Please contact us in the first instance.
If an application to obtain, vary, transfer or surrender an environmental permit has been refused or if the applicant objects to conditions imposed on the environmental permit they may appeal to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs.
Appeals should be sent to:
The Planning Inspectorate
Environment Team
Major & Specialist Casework
Room 4/04 Kite Wing
Temple Quay House
2 The Square
Temple Quay
Bristol, BS1 6PN
Appeals for a permit refusal must be lodged no later than six months from the date of the decision. Appeals must be lodged in relation to a regulator initiated variation, a suspension notice or an enforcement notice, not later than two months from the date of the variation or notice and in any other case not later than six months from the date of the decision.