You can apply to your regulator to change (vary), transfer, or cancel (surrender) your environmental permit in England and Wales. In some cases you only need to notify your regulator of the change.
How to change your environmental permit
You can change your environmental permit by applying to your regulator for a variation. You may need to do this if you change any operations at your regulated facility or if you change the name of your company.
Your application will need public consultation if it is a substantial change or your regulator thinks that consultation is necessary.
To change your environmental permit from the Environment Agency you must complete parts A, F and the appropriate sections of part C of the application form.
Environment Agency: Application forms to vary your permit
To change your environmental permit for a radioactive substances activity you must complete separate forms.
Environment Agency: Radioactive substances application forms
If your local council is your regulator you should contact them to get the correct application form.
Contact your local council
Your regulator can also vary your environmental permit without you applying for a change. To find out more, see our guidance on what happens if you don’t comply with your environmental permit.
How to transfer your environmental permit
You can transfer all or part of your environmental permit to another operator by submitting a:
- joint application with the new operator, or
- joint notification with the new operator if you are transferring a stand alone water discharge or groundwater activity.
Your regulator will issue a new environmental permit to the new operator. It may also decide to vary the conditions of the environmental permit.
To transfer your environmental permit from the Environment Agency you must complete:
- parts A and D of the application form, and
- part F of the application form if you are transferring an installation, waste operation or mining waste operation, and both parties must sign the declaration form.
Environment Agency: Application forms to transfer your permit
To transfer your environmental permit for a radioactive substances activity you must complete separate forms.
Environment Agency: Radioactive substances application forms
To transfer your environmental permit from your local council you should contact your local council to get the correct application form.
Contact your local council
You do not need to transfer your permit if you change your name but remain as the operator although you will need to notify your regulator of the change.
How to cancel your environmental permit
You can cancel (surrender) all or part of your environmental permit by submitting:
- an application to surrender your environmental permit, or
- a notification to surrender if you are surrendering an environmental permit for mobile plant, a part B installation (except for any part of the installation that relates to a waste operation) or stand alone water discharge or groundwater activity.
Your regulator will only accept your application to surrender your environmental permit if it is satisfied you have taken steps to:
- avoid a pollution risk from the operation of your regulated facility
- restore your site to a satisfactory state taking into account the condition the site was in before the regulated facility started.
These requirements do not apply to applications to surrender consents for radioactive substances activities at nuclear sites.
To surrender your environmental permit from the Environment Agency you must complete:
- parts A and the appropriate sections of part E of the application form, and
- part F of the application form if you are transferring an installation, waste operation or mining waste operation.
Environment Agency: Application forms to surrender your permit
Environment Agency: RGN 9 surrender (Adobe PDF - 137KB)
To surrender your environmental permit for a radioactive substances activity you must complete separate forms.
Environment Agency: Radioactive substances application forms
To surrender your environmental permit from your local council you should contact your local council to get the correct form.
Contact your local council
How much does it cost to change, transfer or surrender your permit?
The fee to change, transfer or surrender your environmental permit will depend on how risky your activity is. For example, from 6 April 2010 it will cost you £950 to vary your environmental permit for an inert mining waste operation.
Environment Agency: Environmental permitting charges
Defra: Local authority regulation
In this guideline:
What is an environmental permit?
What happened to your old permit, licence or exemption?
Who needs an environmental permit?
Who needs to register an exemption from environmental permitting?
Who is your regulator for environmental permitting?
How do you apply for an environmental permit?
What happens after you have submitted your application?
How do you comply with an environmental permit?
How do you change, transfer or cancel an environmental permit?
What happens if you don’t comply with environmental permitting?
Environmental permitting further information
Environmental permitting legislation
