Guidance

Storing and using manure to breed worms for a wormery: RPS 316

Published 8 January 2025

Applies to England

© Crown copyright 2025

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.

Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/storing-and-using-manure-to-breed-worms-for-a-wormery-rps-316/storing-and-using-manure-to-breed-worms-for-a-wormery-rps-316

This regulatory position statement (RPS) does not change your legal requirement to have an environmental permit for a waste operation when you store and use farmyard and horse manure to breed worms to make a wormery.

However, the Environment Agency will not normally take enforcement action against you if you do not comply with this legal requirement provided that:

  • your activity meets the description set out in this RPS

  • you comply with the conditions set out in this RPS

In addition your activity must not cause (or be likely to cause) pollution of the environment or harm to human health, and must not:

  • cause a risk to water, air, soil, plants or animals

  • cause a nuisance through noise or odours

  • adversely affect the countryside or places of special interest

Activity this RPS applies to

This RPS applies to storing and using farmyard and horse manure to breed worms for a wormery.

Conditions you must comply with

You must:

  • only store and use farmyard and horse manure for the purpose of breeding worms
  • only store and use up to 10 tonnes of farmyard and horse manure in a 12 month period
  • construct the wormery on an impermeable surface in a purpose-built, leak proof container
  • locate the wormery in a secure place
  • keep records for 2 years from the date of the last use of the RPS to show that you have complied with this RPS and make these records available to the Environment Agency on request

Things to note

This RPS relates to an activity that the Environment Agency considers is potentially suitable to be an exemption under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.

When you must check back

The Environment Agency intends to review this RPS by 8 January 2028. 

The Environment Agency can withdraw or amend this regulatory position before the review date if they consider it necessary. This includes where the activity that this RPS relates to has not changed.

You will need to check back from time to time, including at and before the review date, to see if this RPS still applies.

You can subscribe to email updates about this RPS. These will tell you if the RPS has changed and when it has been withdrawn.

This RPS remains in force until it is removed from GOV.UK or is otherwise identified as having been withdrawn.

If you cannot comply with this RPS

If you operate under this RPS but can no longer comply with it, you must:

Contact the Environment Agency

If you have any questions about this RPS email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk.

Back to top