Consultation on England Local Authority Environmental Permitting Fees and charges Scheme

Overview

The Government has been conducting a review of Local Authority (LA) environmental permitting fees and charges for regulation of industrial plant in England. LAs regulate certain industrial facilities providing permits which set conditions to control, minimise or avoid local pollution and which set emission limits for certain activities. There are charges for granting or in certain cases for varying a permit and annual substance fees levied by LAs on permitted operators. The fees and charges levied aim to reflect the cost of regulating activity required for the facility.

We are proposing to increase the level of fees and charges by 4.5%

Why your views matter

Defra conducted a call for evidence on a number of aspects of the LA environmental regulation which impact on the level of regulatory activity required of LAs. We especially considered whether the current level of fees and charges allow LAs to recover their costs. We also analysed cost and income returns submitted by Local Authorities.     

In particular we are asking if you agree:

• that the proposed 4.5% increase to the level of fees and charges is necessary and justified
• that the proposed revised Risk Methodology used by LAs to determine the fees and charges  applicable to a specific regulated facility is an  improvement;
•  that charges for derogation applications under the Industrial Emissions Directive should be levied
• that an amendment is made to Article 4 of the Part B Scheme to allow wood processes to burn their offcuts without needing to obtain a second permit – an administrative simplification
• that aggregation of small combustion plant brought into permitting by amendment to Environmental Permitting Regulations in 2015 to transpose the Energy Efficiency Directive should be subject to reduced fees and charges?

This consultation will be of interest to LA environmental regulators and operators of regulated facilities and their trade bodies.

Please use the Online Survey link in the blue box below to answer our questions and contribute your views.

If you are unable to use the Survey, responses can be sent to us by post or email:

Industrial Pollution Team, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Area 2C, Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London, SW1P 3JR or Control.Pollution@defra.gsi.gov.uk

There is a link to the relevant documents and consultation letter below. Alternatively, if you would like to receive hard copies of these documents, you can contact us at the postal or email address above and they will be sent to you.

We look forward to hearing from you.

What happens next

We will carefully consider your responses and if the proposals are supported we will aim to publish revised fees and charges shortly after the conclusion of the consultation in April 2017. 

Please use the Online Survey link in the blue box below to answer our questions and contribute your views.