East Suffolk Council

Environmental permitting

What is a permit?

The operation of certain industrial processes have the capacity to pollute the air around us and are consequently regulated by local authorities under a strict permitting regime in accordance with the Pollution Prevention and Control Act 1999. The requirements covers a broad range of new and existing industrial processes. Businesses which operate these premises must have a permit. The council decides whether or not to give a permit to an operator. The permit states the ways in which pollution is to be minimised.

In the law, the premises are known as 'installations'. Some are called 'Part B' and local authorities can only deal with air pollution from them. Additional sorts of pollution e.g. noise and vibration, waste, water pollution are controlled at 'Part A2' installations. 'Part A1' installations are usually larger or more complex industries and are regulated by the Environment Agency.

All permitted installations are available to view by contacting our Environmental Protection Team. A list of permitted processes within East Suffolk is available.

What are listed activities?

Listed activities include:

• Chemicals - manufacturing chemicals, pharmaceuticals or explosives, storing chemicals in bulk.
• Energy - burning fuel, gasification, liquification and refining activities.
• Metals - manufacturing and processing metals.
• Minerals - manufacturing lime, cement, ceramics or glass.
• 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.

Part A(1) processes - Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC)
The Environment Agency regulates A(1) activities, which are the larger more polluting and complex industries (power stations for example). Part A(1) permits control activities with a range of environmental impacts, including:

• Accident prevention.
• Emissions to air, land and water.
• Energy efficiency.
• Noise, vibration and heat.
• Raw materials consumption.
• Waste reduction.

Part A(2) processes - Local Authority Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (LA-IPPC)
Local authorities regulate A(1) activities which include emissions to air, land and water and the impacts of noise, waste and energy efficiency but tend to be less complex than A(1) activities.

Part B processes - Local Authority Pollution Prevention and Control (LAPPC)
Local authorities regulate Part B processes which include emissions to air only. Part B permits control activities that have less potential to cause pollution and include activities such as vehicle re-spraying, crematoria, small foundries, coating processes and unloading of petrol.

Local authorities deal with about 80 different types of installation including glassworks and foundries, rendering plant and maggot breeders, petrol stations and concrete crushers, sawmills and paint manufacturers.

Who can apply for a permit?

You can only apply for an environmental permit if you control the operation of a regulated facility. If you are unsure whether you need an environmental permit please contact the Environmental Protection team.

Who do I apply to?

The permit your business requires depends on the specific processes involved and resulting emissions. Permits are available from the Environment Agency or the local authority depending upon the category your business falls within.

You should apply to the Environment Agency if you operate:

• Part A(1) installation or mobile plant.
• Waste mobile plant.
• Waste operations, including those carried out at a Part B installation or by Part B mobile plant (unless the waste operation is a Part B activity).
• Mining waste operation.
• A radioactive substances activity.
• A water discharge activity.
• A groundwater activity.

You should apply to the local authority in whose area your regulated facility is situated where you operate Part A(2) installations or mobile plant or Part B installations or mobile plant carrying on activities other than those which fall into the above categories.

How do I apply?

Part A(2) and Part B application forms are available by emailing the Environmental Protection Team on environmental.protection@eastsuffolk.gov.uk.

Details of how to apply for permits issued by the Environment Agency are available on its website.

Public register of environmental permits

A public register of environmental permit applications and permits granted by the council is held by our Environmental Protection Team (Public Register) at:

East Suffolk House
Station Road
Melton
Woodbridge
IP12 1RT

If you wish to see the public documents associated with a permit, please contact us to arrange an appointment.