What to include in your environmental setting and site design report

This section will help you complete your permit application for a landfill for inert waste, or to deposit waste on land as a recovery activity. It will help you decide what information you must include in your application.

Use this guide with the:

Check the Environment Agency guidance to help you develop your environmental setting and site design (ESSD) report, including:

Your conceptual site model (CSM) will help the Environment Agency understand the environmental setting of your site. It will also help you consider the design and operation of your site before you apply.

Your CSM must consider all:

  • sources of pollution (especially waste)
  • pathways
  • receptors

Your CSM will help you identify the likely hazards at your site. You should improve it over time. It will help you decide what risk assessments, design details and management plans you need to include in your application.

You should prepare your documents in the following order. There may be some overlap.

  1. CSM
  2. Risk assessments
  3. ESSD report
  4. Permit application

Introduction

You must include an entry in each section, even just to confirm that these features are not relevant to your site. The Environment Agency accepts that once you have completed your initial stage 1 risk assessment, you may not need to complete some of the sections.

Include information in your report in tables where necessary.

You must base your CSM on the plans or drawings in this guide. One drawing can provide information for more than one part as long as the drawing is clearly labelled. Use recognised scales for all drawings, maps or plans to clearly show the details. Label each drawing with the:

  • drawing title
  • site name
  • name and address of the operator
  • date the drawing was made
  • drawing identification number
  • scale
  • key
  • grid lines and north point
  • paper size of the original drawing

CSM: source, pathways and receptors

Your CSM must include all the sources of pollution that could impact human health or the environment. You must include all the pathways the pollution may follow to travel away from the site and all the receptors that could be affected by it. Some pathways and receptors may be both a pathway and receptor.

Source: historical activity

You must include details of:

  • the historical use of the land
  • relevant historical waste activity that does not have a permit, including time of operation and waste types
  • other land uses relevant to assessing the environmental risks from your proposed site – for example any former or current land use that may cause contamination, like spreading sewage sludge
  • any previous pollution incidents

You must include a drawing of the site location in relation to surrounding features.

You can include details in a table, for example the:

  • land uses and the relative distances from the site
  • historical activities that have occurred on site before development

Source: proposed activity

You must include details of:

  • proposed waste types, including proposed volumes, quantities and chemical characteristics of the deposited wastes after treatment
  • phasing – the location, size, depth and shape of any proposed cells, or if not developed on a cellular basis, the sequence of tipping
  • hydrogeological risk assessment, or why that is not necessary
  • the proposed final landform and use

You must include a drawing of the site layout and wastes. Include:

  • topography to 500m from the site boundary
  • areas already filled with waste
  • cell layout
  • sequence of deposits
  • final waste disposal level

You can include details in a table, for example the:

  • nature and results of any site investigations that you have undertaken at the site
  • proposed management measures and technical controls throughout the site’s lifecycle

Pathway and receptor: geology

To assess the hydraulic conductivity (normally called permeability) and porosity of the geology around the site, you must include the following details:

  • local and regional drift and bedrock geology – you can find this information on the British Geological Survey website (include whether you have confirmed or refined this information)
  • description of local and regional soil and rock strata, stratigraphy and structural relationships, including plans and vertical cross sections
  • potential heterogeneity due to fissures, fracturing, sand and gravel lenses and vertical and lateral variability in lithology
  • the nature and results of any site investigations you have carried out at the site

You must include a drawing of the regional geology (taken from British Geological Survey geological or digital maps) and any appropriate regional cross sections.

Pathway and receptor: aquifer characteristics

You must understand the impact your site may have on groundwater. See the Environment Agency’s approach to groundwater protection.

You must include details of:

  • site location in relation to source protection zones
  • vulnerability and aquifer status as shown on the groundwater vulnerability maps
  • the geology – include the spatial distribution of aquifers, aquicludes and aquitards
  • relevant hydrogeological parameters (such as transmissivity, permeability and porosity) and laboratory and field scales
  • location of licensed abstractions, private water supplies and springs
  • significance of geological heterogeneity

Pathway and receptor: groundwater flow

You must include details of:

  • what pre-operational groundwater monitoring you have done
  • groundwater levels (metres above ordnance datum and on what dates)
  • hydraulic gradients in all relevant deep, shallow or perched groundwater
  • lateral flow directions, interconnections and confining layers
  • the thickness and nature of the unsaturated zone, for example fissured or inter-granular
  • whether the existing or proposed site will be partially or totally sub-water table
  • local and regional groundwater flow regimes
  • regional groundwater contours for each groundwater body, where available
  • groundwater flow to discharge points
  • groundwater movement, including groundwater and surface water interactions, and surface recharge and discharge
  • potential or known medium or long term influences on hydraulic balance from future groundwater rebound or changes in abstraction
  • the relationship between the site base and sides and groundwater
  • groundwater levels for each groundwater body and relevant surface water features

You must include drawings and cross sections of:

  • local and regional hydrogeology
  • locations of groundwater monitoring boreholes

You can put these details in a table, for example the regional and local hydrogeology.

Pathway and receptor: groundwater quality

You must include details of:

  • regional groundwater quality and its significance to existing and potential uses of ground or surface water
  • local groundwater quality and other factors that might impact groundwater quality, for example existing landfills and sludge spreading
  • the nature and effectiveness of any remediation works that have been carried out
  • groundwater quality at licensed and private abstractions from ground and surface water springs, where available
  • groundwater quality at off-site groundwater monitoring points, for example Environment Agency observation wells

Pathway and receptor: surface water

You must include the following details:

  • local average rainfall data
  • description of any water courses that may influence or be affected by activities at the site, including their chemical, biological and ecological status, where applicable
  • description of any water courses that may be affected by discharges from the site, including the environmental quality standard, where applicable
  • summary of surface water flows, including average, low and storm flows
  • flood risk and the presence of indicative flood plains
  • water quality, any existing sources of contamination and the ecological importance of the watercourses

You must include a drawing of all the relevant local water features, for example, rivers, streams, springs, ponds or wetlands.

Pathway: man-made subsurface pathways

You must include details of any man-made pathways such as field drains, buried services, mine workings or boreholes.

You can include details in a table, for example a list of man-made structures (such as underground utilities) that could act as pathways.

Receptor: amenity (nuisance)

You must identify all the receptors that could be affected by activities at your site, for example from noise, dust or birds. Include:

  • the location and distribution of sensitive features in relation to the site and possible pathways
  • an assessment of whether the receptors are sensitive to the potential hazards arising from the site
  • any safeguarded aerodromes

You must include a drawing that includes all the relevant receptors, for example:

  • site boundary
  • residential areas
  • schools, hospitals and care homes
  • recreational areas
  • waterways
  • water bodies
  • agricultural or forestry areas (or both)
  • industrial or commercial areas
  • flood risk map overlay
  • roads and railways
  • safeguarded aerodromes

Receptor: habitats and natural heritage

You must identify:

You must include a drawing of any habitat and natural heritage sites, for example:

  • Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty or national parks
  • Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas or Ramsar sites
  • cultural heritage sites
  • listed buildings
  • scheduled ancient monuments

ESSD: overview

You can use your CSM to decide what risk assessments you need to do.

You can develop your ESSD report based on the outcome of those to cover:

  • site details
  • compliance points and limits
  • pollution control measures
  • monitoring

ESSD: report context

You must include the following details:

  • the operator of the proposed activity
  • the agent who completed this report (if not the operator)
  • an outline of the proposed activity and how it relates to previous land use

ESSD: Site details

You must include the following details:

  • site location and access, including National Grid references
  • site classification – either landfill for inert waste or deposit for recovery
  • site boundary and site security, such as gates and fences
  • any relevant, adjacent former waste management activity boundaries
  • site context, including the local topography and the location of the site in relation to local environmental receptors, such as residential and recreational areas, waterways, water bodies, nature protection zones, and other agricultural or urban sites (up to 500m)
  • how you will adapt operations at the site to account for the impact of climate change

ESSD: compliance points

Where your CSM confirms the need, you must include details of the specific compliance points that you considered in your risk assessments.

Groundwater

Where your site is in a sensitive location, you must identify the relevant compliance points for hazardous substances and non-hazardous pollutants.

Secondary receptors could include existing or potential:

  • users of groundwater, such as licensed groundwater abstractions or private water supplies
  • river base-flows
  • springs within plausible range of impact
  • local wetlands or other habitat sites

You must include a drawing of your groundwater monitoring locations, for example:

  • groundwater monitoring boreholes
  • local springs or wells

Where your CSM confirms that you will need to abstract groundwater, for example to construct basal and sidewall engineering, you may need to drain this to surface water.

Where you need to maintain groundwater levels below natural levels in the long term, you will need an abstraction licence.

ESSD: surface water

Where your site will drain surface water to controlled water, you must identify relevant discharge volumes and contaminant concentrations. Check if you need an environmental permit where you intend to drain water from your site to controlled water.

ESSD: pollution control measures

Where your CSM confirms the need, you must include details of the pollution control measures you will put in place at your site. You can include the proposed management measures and technical controls throughout the site’s lifecycle in a table.

Site: general

You must include details of:

  • security infrastructure, such as gates and fences
  • groundwater control or abstraction
  • surface water management features, such as ditches and ponds
  • infrastructure such as tanks containing liquids, hard surfacing and quarantine areas

Basal and side slope engineering

You must include assessments of:

  • attenuation capacity of natural geology or any proposed engineered barrier or layer
  • engineering details on a cell by cell or development area basis (possibly in a table on the drawing), accompanied by schematic cross sections of the proposed layout – you may need more than one drawing

You must include drawings of all the site infrastructure you intend to install, for example the engineered barrier or layer for the base and sidewall.

Surface water management

You must include details of the:

  • water management system for the proposed site, including collection ditches, treatment ponds, drainage and discharge of water
  • quality and volume of any existing or proposed discharges from the site, including to soakaway

You must include a drawing of the location of any surface water discharge points.

Amenity

Where your CSM indicates that your activity could have an impact on local residents, habitat sites or sites of cultural heritage, you must include details of the control measures you will put in place.

Post closure controls (aftercare)

You must include details of:

  • proposed after-use of the site
  • proposed post closure management of the site, including surface water and groundwater management systems, where appropriate
  • likelihood of mining related subsidence, differential settlement and structural failure
  • completion criteria when the waste is physically and chemically stable, and you can apply to surrender your permit – identify detailed criteria within the risk assessment

ESSD: monitoring

You will need to monitor your activity to confirm that:

  • your pollution control measures are effective
  • you are not causing pollution

Weather monitoring

You must include details of:

  • how you will obtain meteorological information, such as from an on-site weather station or local Met Office station
  • total rainfall and effective rainfall
  • prevailing wind direction and strength

You can include a summary table of long term rainfall values.

Gas monitoring infrastructure

You must include details of your proposed gas monitoring infrastructure within the site. You must include an outline drawing of your borehole design.

Gas monitoring

You must include details of:

  • any historical and baseline gas analyses to establish natural background concentrations and current impacts
  • an assessment of whether there are any potential or existing pathways and receptors for gas migration
  • the nature and effectiveness of any remediation works that may have been carried out

You must include drawings of your proposed in-waste landfill gas monitoring point locations. You can include details in a table, for example the nature and location of in-waste gas monitoring points.

Groundwater monitoring infrastructure

Where your CSM confirms a need, you must include details relating to your proposed groundwater monitoring infrastructure around the site. You must include an outline drawing of your borehole design.

Groundwater monitoring

Where you propose to monitor groundwater, you must include a drawing of your groundwater monitoring point locations for a minimum of:

  • 1 monitoring point in the groundwater in-flow region (up-hydraulic gradient)
  • 2 monitoring points in the groundwater out-flow region (down-hydraulic gradient)

You can include details in a table, for example the nature and location of groundwater monitoring points.

Surface water monitoring

Where your CSM indicates that your site could have an impact on surface water quality, you must identify surface water monitoring locations up and down stream of your site. You must do this even if you do not discharge to controlled water.

You must include a drawing of the location of any surface water monitoring locations.

Amenity monitoring

Where your CSM indicates that your site could have an impact on local residents, habitat sites or sites of cultural heritage, you must include details of the monitoring you will carry out to confirm that your control measures are effective.

You must include a drawing of the location of any amenity monitoring locations.