The EP Charging Scheme 2013/14 sets out our charges under the Environmental Permitting Regulations.
We raise charges to recover the costs of issuing and regulating environmental permits and their impact on the environment.
The information provided here is only summary information for those who have already made an application and are familiar with EP and the subsistence charges. If you are not familiar with the scheme and are applying for the first time we suggest you read the charging scheme advice.
Structure of the scheme
The scheme is based on the unified charging framework which has three tiers that are linked to the relative risks of an activity:
- Tier 1 - low risk facilities that need registration. We only need to record basic details such as the nature of the activity being undertaken, the operator's name and location.
- Tier 2 - medium risk facilities, in most cases based on standard rules. This tier is split into charging Bands to more accurately link the charge to the risk presented by the regulated activity.
- Tier 3 - more complex and high risk facilities that require more detailed and individually tailored bespoke permits.
Types of charge
We have different types of charge to recover the costs we incur through regulating environmental permits:
Pre-application
The application charge allows for a maximum of fifteen hours for a bespoke tier 3 permit or 1 hour for a standard tier 2 permit of our time to be spent in pre-application discussions for each permit application. If our input to a pre-application discussion exceeds this, we will normally be unable to provide additional advice without levying a charge.
Application for a new permit charge
You have to pay an application charge when you apply for a new environmental permit. This payment must be submitted with the application.
Subsistence charges
We recover all the costs we incur in the ongoing regulation of a permit through annual subsistence charges. We will invoice for this charge.
Variation charges
If you apply to vary your permit, or if you are required to vary your permit by us, you have to pay a variation charge, unless:
- the change is administrative only (as defined in the variation section of the scheme and guidance)
- the change is a request for a fixed condition licence to become a standard permit
- we have invited a waste facility sector to become a standard facility
Depending on the change to the permit you can apply for either:
- an administrative only change
- a minor technical change
- a normal variation
- substantial variation (although this is for a limited number of specific circumstances)
All of these categories are explained in the variation section of the scheme and guidance.
Transfer charges
If you want to transfer your permit you have to pay a transfer charge. You can apply to transfer either part or all of a permit.
Surrender charges
If you want to surrender your permit you have to pay a surrender charge. You can apply to surrender either part or all of a permit.
The different Tiers
Tier 1
There are currently no charges in Tier 1 and so no further details are provided here.
Tier 2 - fixed charges
Tier 2 is for medium risk activities or where we have developed standard processes to regulate them. These charges mainly relate to activities which comply with standard rules, with a small number of exceptions.
Within Tier 2 there are different types of charge, e.g. application, variation, transfer. Each of these have bands for different categories of activities. Facilities within Tier 2 are all allocated to one of these bands. The charge for each band is fixed, although the subsistence charge is modified by a site's compliance rating.
Tier 3 - Opra based charges
Most Tier 3 charges are based on the Opra profile for a site. Opra stands for Operational Risk Appraisal and assesses the risk to the environment by an individual facility. It takes into account the complexity, emissions, location of the facility, the ability of the operator to manage the operations and the compliance rating associated with the permit.
Which tier do my activities come under?
For a list of the activities that come under Tier 2 please see Schedule 1 in the EP charging scheme. If you operate a facility that is not on this list then it will be subject to Tier 3 Opra based charges.
Charges for 2013/14
There are many different charges under the EP scheme across the types of charge and tiers explained above. For more details of these charges please see the charging scheme advice.
Payment methods
For details on how to pay your application charge please see the information included with the application forms and the payment of charges section in the scheme and guidance.
For information on how to pay all invoiced charges please see the information on the back of the invoice.
More information
