Environmental permitting applies to England and Wales only.
If you operate your business in Northern Ireland or Scotland, see our guidance on pollution prevention and control and waste management licensing.
Pollution prevention and control permits
Waste management licensing
How to change your environmental permit
Your environmental permit can be changed:
- by you, if you apply to vary your environmental permit
- by your regulator, if it decides to vary your environmental permit.
If you want to vary your permit you will need to complete part A, C and F of the environmental permit application.
Environment Agency: Application forms
How to transfer your environmental permit
If you want to transfer your permit to another operator, you will need to submit a joint application with the new operator and complete part A, D and F of the environmental permit application.
Environment Agency: Application forms
How can your permit be cancelled?
Your environmental permit can be cancelled:
- by you, if you apply to surrender your environmental permit
- by your regulator, if it decides to revoke your environmental permit.
Your regulator must give you at least 20 days notice before it revokes your environmental permit.
How do you apply to surrender your permit?
If you want to surrender your environmental permit you will need to complete part A, E and F of the environmental permit application.
Environment Agency: Application forms
What happens if your permit is revoked?
If your regulator revokes the whole of your environmental permit you must stop operating your regulated facility.
If your regulator revokes part of your permit:
- it can change the conditions in your permit
- you can continue to operate your regulated facility, but you cannot carry out any activities that were removed from your permit. You must follow the conditions in your environmental permit including any conditions that have been changed by your regulator.
How much does it cost to change, transfer or surrender your permit?
You must pay a charge to the Environment Agency or your local Council if you apply to change, transfer or surrender your environmental permit.
The amount of the charge will depend on how risky your activity is. For example, it will cost you £1,899 to change your environmental permit for an inert mining waste operation.
Environment Agency: Environmental permitting (EP) charges
Environment Agency: Operational risk appraisal (OPRA)
Defra: Local authority fees and charges
In this guideline:
What is an environmental permit?
Do you need an environmental permit?
Do you need to register an exemption from environmental permitting?
How do you apply for an environmental permit?
What you must do if you hold an environmental permit
How do you change, transfer or cancel your environmental permit?
Environmental permitting further information
Environmental permitting legislation
