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Open consultation

Exemption proposals for the environmental permitting regulations

From:
Environment Agency
Published:
4 November 2026

Applies to England

Summary

We want your views on 7 proposed exemptions from environmental permitting. These are designed to support construction activities in England and the UK government's commitment to streamline environmental permitting for low-risk activities.

This consultation is being held on another website.

This consultation closes at

Consultation description

This is the Environment Agency’s first consultation on new environmental permitting exemption proposals ahead of gaining new powers to make, revise and revoke exemptions.

Exemptions specify activities that do not require an environmental permit and pose lower risks than permitted activities. There are 2 types: those that require registration and those that do not. Exemptions exist in 4 classes of facility:

  • waste operations
  • water discharge activities
  • groundwater activities
  • flood risk activities

This consultation seeks your views on 7 proposed new exemptions. This is to help us understand:

  • whether we have correctly identified the risks

  • whether compliance with the conditions and limitations ensure that the risks to the environment and human health are reduced to an acceptable level for each activity

  • how we should apply the new exemptions

We want to make sure that the exemptions work for you and your industry but also provide the necessary protection to the environment and human health.

The process to create new exemptions will be made possible by forthcoming amendments to the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.

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