Industrial air pollution
You must hold an environmental permit if you do industrial activities that have the potential to cause pollution.
You must apply to us for a permit if you wish to:
- carry out Part A2 or Part B activities at an installation or with mobile plant
For waste and other activities that cause more significant pollution you will need a Part 1A permit from the Environment Agency.
Part A2 permits include processes such as:
- refining gas
- metal works for example producing iron or steel, casting ferrous metal, using forge hammers or applying fused metal coatings
- melting non-ferrous metals
- surface treating metals and plastic materials
- grinding cement clinker or metallurgical slag
- glass making
- cellulose fibre reinforced calcium silicate board manufacturing
- ceramics, including roof tiles and bricks
- non-hazardous or animal waste incineration
- manufacturing wood-based boards, for example plywood
- new tyre manufacturing
- disposing of or recycling animal carcasses or waste
Part B permits are for businesses that cause emissions to air and include processes such as:
- vehicle respraying
- furniture manufacture
- dry cleaning
- petrol service stations
- concrete batching
You should already have any relevant planning permission before applying for a permit.
There is usually a public consultation period as part of the application process. We must allow members of the public and other consultees to make comments for or against the application. The length of the consultation depends on the application.
Once the consultation period ends, we will make any decision and will tell you in writing of our decision, due to the complex nature of these applications a decision can usually take up to 4 months.
In some instances, decisions may take longer but we would tell you if there was a delay.
We can choose to grant the permit with conditions or refuse the permit. If we do not grant the permit you can appeal.
You must pay us an annual fee each April, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) set these fees and the fees vary for each activity and the level of risk posed by the activity. Below are the links to the relevant fees:
If you do not pay the annual fee, we may revoke the permit.
View register and applications
You can find the register of premises with environmental permits and view permit applications in progress on our online portal.