Environmental permit: standard rules vs bespoke, and how to apply
Written by Sam Allcock · Last updated 23 August 2026 · Facts checked against GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk on the date above
If your business could pollute air, land or water, or you handle, treat, store or dispose of certain types of waste, you may need an environmental permit from the Environment Agency before you can operate legally in England.
There are two routes: a standard rules permit, a pre-written set of conditions for common, lower-risk activities, or a bespoke permit, individually assessed for anything that doesn't fit an existing standard rules set.
Short on time?Let us prepare your application - fixed fee, and we always show you the free official route first.
Get it done for you →This guide explains the difference between the two permit routes, roughly how fees are structured, and how to apply. It doesn't cover Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, where the regulators (SEPA, NRW, NIEA) run separate schemes. If you handle waste as a carrier or broker rather than operating a permitted site, see our waste carrier registration guide instead.
This is general information, not environmental or legal advice. Environmental permitting is genuinely complex and activity-specific - for anything specific to your site or process, use the Environment Agency's own pre-application advice service or an environmental permitting consultant.
What is an environmental permit?
An environmental permit is legal authorisation from the Environment Agency to carry out a "regulated facility" or activity that could otherwise harm the environment or human health.
It's required under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016, and operating a regulated facility without one - or breaching the conditions of one you hold - is a criminal offence.
Who needs one?
You may need a permit if your activity falls into one of several broad categories the regulations cover.
- Waste operations - storing, treating, recycling or disposing of waste, including waste transfer stations and recycling sites.
- Installations - certain industrial processes, such as larger combustion plants, chemical manufacturing or intensive farming above set thresholds.
- Water discharge activities - discharging to a river, lake or the sea.
- Groundwater activities - discharging or disposing of pollutants that could reach groundwater.
- Radioactive substances activities - keeping, using or disposing of radioactive material.
- Mining waste operations - certain extraction and quarrying waste activities.
Some low-risk activities are instead covered by a free "waste exemption" registration rather than a full permit - always check whether your specific activity is exempt before assuming you need to pay for a permit at all.
Standard rules vs bespoke permits
Which route applies depends entirely on whether your activity matches one of the Environment Agency's published standard rules sets.
| Standard rules permit | Bespoke permit | |
|---|---|---|
| When it applies | Your activity matches a published standard rules set exactly, including its stated limits (e.g. site size, throughput) | No standard rules set fits your activity, or you exceed the limits in one that would otherwise apply |
| How conditions are set | Fixed, pre-written conditions - the same for every operator using that rule set | Individually assessed and written for your specific site and process |
| Speed | Generally faster, since the Environment Agency has already assessed the generic risk | Generally slower, because of the individual risk assessment required |
| Cost | Lower, and fixed per activity type | Higher, and scales with the complexity and risk of your specific application |
What does an environmental permit cost?
We can't responsibly quote a single "environmental permit fee" here, and you should be wary of any source that does - genuine costs range from a few hundred pounds for a simple standard rules permit to tens of thousands of pounds for a complex bespoke installation permit, and both types also carry an ongoing annual subsistence charge on top of the one-off application fee.
Fees are set out in The Environment Agency (Environmental Permitting and Abstraction Licensing) (England) Charging Scheme 2022, with amendments up to 1 April 2026. Find your exact fee on GOV.UK →
✓ Fee structure checked against GOV.UK's charging scheme publication, 23 August 2026
Because we couldn't confirm a single reliable figure for either permit type against the Environment Agency's own tables without knowing your specific activity, we've deliberately not quoted a number here - use the official charging tables, or the Environment Agency's pre-application advice service, to get a figure that actually applies to your site.
How to apply, step by step
- Check if you need a permit at all - some low-risk activities only need a free waste exemption or no authorisation at all.
- Check whether a standard rules set matches your activity, including its stated limits.
- Consider pre-application advice from the Environment Agency, especially for anything likely to need a bespoke permit.
- Prepare your application - for a bespoke permit this typically includes a site plan, a risk assessment, and technical details of your process.
- Submit your application and pay the relevant fee through GOV.UK's environmental permit application service.
- Respond to the Environment Agency's public consultation and any further information requests - bespoke applications are typically open for comment for around 20 working days.
- Receive your decision - the Environment Agency's own target is to determine new applications within 13 weeks, though this can take longer for complex bespoke cases.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a standard rules and a bespoke environmental permit?
A standard rules permit uses fixed, pre-written conditions for common, lower-risk activities that match a published rule set. A bespoke permit is individually assessed and written for your specific site when no standard rules set applies, and it's generally slower and more expensive.
How much does an environmental permit cost?
There's no single figure - fees depend on your specific activity and are set out in the Environment Agency's published charging scheme, with both a one-off application fee and an ongoing annual subsistence charge. Check the official tables of charges for your exact activity.
Who issues environmental permits in England?
The Environment Agency, under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have separate regulators.
How long does it take to get an environmental permit?
The Environment Agency's target is to determine new applications within 13 weeks, though bespoke applications involving public consultation or complex risk assessment can take longer.
What happens if I operate without a permit?
It's a criminal offence that can carry an unlimited fine and, in serious cases, imprisonment of up to 5 years in the Crown Court.
Do all waste activities need a full environmental permit?
No - some low-risk waste activities only need a free waste exemption registration rather than a full permit. Check your specific activity against the Environment Agency's exemptions list before assuming you need to pay for a permit.
apply for licence is an independent guide and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Environment Agency, GOV.UK or any government body. This page is general information, not environmental or legal advice - for anything specific to your site or process, use the Environment Agency's pre-application advice service or an environmental permitting consultant.