Environmental permitting

Does my business need an environmental permit?

This will depend on the nature of your business and the activities you undertake.  The full list of industrial activities that require an environmental permit from either the Environment Agency (known as 'part A1' installations) or the council (known as 'part A2' or 'part B' installations), as well as other types of activities that require a permit or an exemption, is available on the Environmental Permitting Regulations website.

It is a legal requirement for operators of certain activities and installations listed in the regulations to apply for an environmental permit, and comply with the conditions of that permit in order to control pollution and environmental emissions.

The council monitors and inspects a range of businesses under the Environmental Permitting Regulations, to check compliance with their permits.  Those businesses in the East Riding which hold an environmental permit from the council are listed on the public register.

For further information on environmental permits please contact us.

How much does it cost to apply for a permit? 

You will need to pay an application fee when applying for an environmental permit.

Once a permit is issued, you will also need to pay an annual charge.

Please note: fees and charges for environmental permits are set by central government each year. Read more about current fees and charges on the GOV.UK website.

Application fees

• Part B (reduced fee): petrol station vapour recovery (Stage 1 only or addition of Stage 2 to existing site) and dry cleaners - £155
• Part B (reduced fee): petrol station vapour recovery (Stage 1 and 2 combined - new site or major refurbishment) - £257
• Other Part B (reduced fee) activities: respraying of road vehicles; manufacture of heavy clay goods; exfoliation of vermiculite or expansion of perlite; roadstone coating; mobile crushing and screening of bricks, tiles and concrete; manufacture of timber and wood based products; bulk cement; coal, coke and coal products; quarrying; mineral drying and cooling; powder coating; maggot breeding; sausage casings manufacturing and boiling of tripe; fish meal processing; pet food manufacturing; animal feed compounding; tobacco; bitumen; pre-formulated resins or gel coats - £362
  
• Part B (standard) activities; or solvent emission activities - £1650
• Mobile plant - £1650 (reduces to £985 for 3rd and subsequent applications, and £498 for 8th and subsequent applications)
• Part A(2) activities; or small waste incineration plant - £3363 

Annual charges

The annual charge, (known as a 'subsistence charge'), covers the regulatory costs of your permit. The amount will depend on the type of permit you have, as well as our inspection results.  We will invoice you for this. 

How do I apply for an environmental permit?

Select your application

Please download and complete the type of environmental permit application you require from the list below:

Supporting documents

Please make sure you include a site plan(s) with your application to clearly show the boundary of the installation, as well as the layout of any key items of plant and machinery. The application form and relevant process guidance note will tell you what other specific information you need to provide in order to complete your application.  

Where there are channelled emissions to atmosphere, you will need to provide supporting evidence to demonstrate that the stack or chimney height is appropriate and that emissions won't cause an impact on short-term or long-term environmental assessment levels. You may need to submit an air quality screening assessment or full dispersion model.

Read more about air emissions risk assessment for your environmental permit on the GOV.UK website

Submit your application

Completed application forms should be sent to the following address, with any supporting documents: 

Environmental Control Team 
East Riding of Yorkshire Council 
Council Offices 
Church Street 
Goole 
DN14 5BG

Alternatively, you can email the documents to us: 

pollution.control@eastriding.gov.uk 

Payment

You can either send a cheque for the correct fee with your completed application (cheques should be made payable to 'East Riding of Yorkshire Council'), or if you would prefer to pay by BACs or credit/debit card, we will contact you to arrange this once we've received your application. 

Questions?

If you're not sure which type of permit you need or what fee applies please contact us to discuss before filling out an application.

How do I transfer or surrender my environmental permit?

If you wish to transfer your permit to a different operator or surrender your permit, you will need to complete the relevant application and pay the following fees:

Transfer fees:

• Part B (reduced fee) activities - no fee for total transfer of permit, or £47 for partial transfer of permit
• Part B (standard) activities or solvent emission activities - £169 for total transfer of permit, or £497 for partial transfer of permit
• Part A(2) activities - £235 for total transfer of permit, or £698 for partial transfer of permit

Surrender fees:

• Part B activities - no fee for surrender of permit
• Part A(2) activities - £698 for surrender of permit

Will I need a permit if I want to install a biomass boiler?

Larger boilers may require a permit under the Environmental Permitting Regulations and, depending on the fuel used, may fall within the requirements of the Waste Incineration Directive. 

An increasing number of businesses are looking at biomass as an energy source for providing heat, as well as power. In general, you will need an environmental permit from the council if the boiler is using biomass fuel from natural sources, e.g. wood pellets, and has a rated thermal input >20 MW, or if the boiler is burning waste or waste-derived biomass, and has an aggregate capacity of 50kg or more per hour.  Other types of appliance may require a permit from the Environment Agency instead.

For further guidance on how energy from waste plants are regulated, including anaerobic digestors, please visit the GOV.UK website.

If you would like to discuss your proposal please contact us.

Further advice on air quality and planning is available on our air pollution page.  You can use the following forms to provide us with further information about your proposal, which will help us deal with your enquiry: 

Planning biomass boiler information request form (52kb)

Planning combined heat and power information request form (55kb)

What about other types of combustion plant?

The rules around permitting of combustion plant can be quite complex, depending on what is being burned, the size of the plant and the type of installation, so it is best to seek advice.

In general, large combustion plant have a rated thermal input equal to or greater than 50MW, and the control of their emissions is covered by the Industrial Emissions Directive.  Medium combustion plant have a rated thermal input between 1MW and <50MW, and the control of their emissions is covered by the Medium Combustion Plant Directive.  Large and medium size plants will usually be regulated by the Environment Agency.   The majority of combustion plant which are subject to emission controls are gas boilers between 1 to 5MW.  Smaller appliances (heaters and boilers) which have a rated thermal input of less than 1MW, and are covered by the Ecodesign Directive. 

Further guidance on local authority regulation of combustion plant is available on the GOV.UK website.  

Specific advice on recent changes to the regulation of medium combustion plant is also available on the Environment Agency website.

Where can I find out about new applications for permits in my area?

We will publish documents for public consultation below, whenever we receive applications for certain permitted installations. If you have any comments on a proposed installation please contact us, so we can take these into consideration when determining the application.

You may also wish to check current permit application consultations on the GOV.UK - Environment Agency permit applications website. 

Consultations

No consultations are currently open.

Where can I get further advice on environmental permitting?

If you require further guidance on the regulation of environmental permits by the council, as well as specific process guidance for different industry sectors, this is available on the GOV.UK - Local Authority Pollution Control website.

The Environment Agency has also produced guidance on environmental permits that they issue, which is available on the GOV.UK - Environmental permitting website.

If you are an operator of a business and require specialist advice on environmental issues and industrial emissions, you may wish to use the following directories to search for suitable consultants and testing companies who can advise you:

ENDS directory of environmental consultants website

Source Testing Association members list website

If you would like advice regarding your application for an environmental permit or the council's role as a regulator, please contact our environmental control team:

Email: pollution.control@eastriding.gov.uk