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Standard rules: environmental permitting

For each activity there is a set of rules and a risk assessment.

Updates to this page

From:
Environment Agency
Published:
28 March 2014
Last updated:
20 May 2026
Show all updates

  1. Added 'SR2024 No 2: using unbound incinerator bottom ash aggregate in construction' to the 'Deposit for recovery' group.

  2. Added SR2025 No 5, No 6 and No 7 to the 'Water discharges' group.

  3. Added a link to 'SR2024 No 1: research and development at a Part A(1) installation'.

  4. Added 8 new standard rules permits: SR2022 No 1: treatment of waste to produce soil, soil substitutes and aggregate, SR2022 No 2: mobile treatment of waste to produce soil, soil substitutes and aggregate, SR2022 No 3: construction, demolition and excavation waste transfer station, SR2022 No 4: non-hazardous waste recycling with asbestos, hazardous batteries, cable and WEEE storage, SR2022 No 5: non-hazardous waste transfer with asbestos, hazardous batteries, cable and WEEE storage, SR2022 No 6: household waste recycling centre, SR2022 No 7: materials recycling facility SR2022 No 8: waste wood treatment. We have withdrawn 28 standard rules sets that have been consolidated into the 8 new permits. We will remove these 28 standard rule sets after the 3 month transitional period has ended.

  5. Added 'SR2023 No 1: capture, treatment and storage of biogas from lagoons and tanks'.

  6. Added a revised SR2018 number 7: new and existing, low risk, stationary medium combustion plant and a new standard rules permit SR2022 number 9: new and existing, low risk, stationary medium combustion plant which is a natural gas boiler.

  7. Added 2 new standard rules permits and generic risk assessments: SR2021 No 11: Small metal recycling facility (less than 5,000 tonnes a year) and SR2021 No 12: Vehicle storage, depollution and dismantling (authorised treatment) facility.

  8. Added 3 new standard rules permits and generic risk assessments: SR2021 No 13: storage and mechanical treatment of end-of-life tyres for recovery; SR2021 No 14: storage and mechanical treatment of waste mattresses for recovery; SR2021 No 15: storage and mechanical treatment of waste paper, cardboard and plastic for recovery.

  9. Added 10 new biowaste standard rules permits and generic risk assessments. They are SR2021 numbers 1 to 10. Withdrawn SR2015 No 12: 75kte non-hazardous mechanical biological (aerobic) treatment facility.

  10. Added the revised SR2008 No 24: standard rules for transfer of healthcare waste. Moved previous version of 'SR2008 No 24: 75Kte clinical waste and healthcare waste transfer station' and 'SR2008 No 25: 75kte clinical waste and healthcare waste treatment and transfer station' to 'unavailable for new applications'. Removed 'SR2013 No 1: treat 100 tonnes a year of clinical and healthcare waste' as this standard rules set is no longer available.

  11. Before you submit your permit application you must check your site meets the standard rules location criteria. If your site does not meet the criteria we will return your application.

  12. Added SR2020 No 1: Storage of PAS 107 certified clean cut tyre shred and chip at a port under 'Storage or treatment of waste - recycling, dredging, clinical, soil, tyre shred or wood treatment'.

  13. We have added 3 new Standard Rules under Flood risk activities for 2019.

  14. Added to first sentence now 'Applying for a standard rules permit saves you time and money compared to a bespoke permit'.

  15. Added 9 new documents to the collection under sub heading Medium combustion plant and specified generators.

  16. Added link to 'Apply for a standard rules waste permit' under relevant activity.

  17. You can now apply online for most standard rules environmental permits.

  18. New rule set added to Radioactive substances for non-nuclear sites.

  19. Can you help us? We want to know what you think about our application process so we can improve it.

  20. Flood risk activities added.

  21. List of amended and new rules sets for publication post Standard Rule No 12 consultation

  22. New document added under onshore oil and gas exploration - SR2014 no 2: the management of extractive waste. New document added under keeping/transfer of waste - SR2013 no 1: treatment of 100 t/y of clinical and healthcare waste.

  23. First published.

You can apply for a standard rules permit if your operation meets the relevant description and rules, but:

  • you cannot vary (change) the rules and you have no right of appeal against them
  • if you want to change your operations and so will no longer meet the rules then you will have to apply to change your standard permit to a bespoke permit instead
  • if there is a change in your local environment after your permit has been issued (for example due to a change in the definition of a groundwater source protection zone or houses are built close to the site), you may need to upgrade the operation to a standard sufficient for the changed environment, or change to a bespoke permit

Before you submit your permit application you:

If your site does not meet the criteria we will return your application.

Anaerobic digestion including use of the resultant gas and storing digestate

Car and vehicle dismantling

Car and vehicle dismantling - unavailable for new applications

Composting, sewage or sludge treatment, biogas

Composting, sewage or sludge treatment, biogas - unavailable for new applications

Deposit for recovery

Deposit for recovery - unavailable for new applications

Electrical insulating oil storage

Flood risk activities

Standard rules permits for flood risk activities

Medium combustion plant and specified generators

Metal recycling, scrap metal and WEEE - not cars or vehicles

Metal recycling, scrap metal and WEEE - not cars or vehicles - unavailable for new applications

Mining, oil and gas

Mobile plant for land-spreading or treatment

Radioactive substances for non-nuclear sites

Research and development

Storage or treatment of waste - recycling, dredging, clinical, soil, tyre shred or wood treatment

Storage or treatment of waste - recycling, dredging, clinical, soil or wood treatment - unavailable for new applications

Waste transfer station or amenity site with or without treatment

Water discharges

The annual permit fee (‘subsistence’) for standard water discharge permits starts from the date the permit is issued, so you should not apply for a permit significantly ahead of when it’s required.

As well as the 5 standard permits listed in this section, standard permit SR2008 No 27 (mobile plant for the treatment of soils and contaminated material, substances or products) can also apply to water discharges.

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