Consultation Launched On Reforms To Environmental Permitting Regulations

On 8 April 2025, DEFRA and Natural Resources Wales released a consultation on proposed reform to exemptions in the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016.

The reforms cover flood risk activities, waste operations, water discharge activities, and groundwater activities. For England specifically, the proposals also include new waste control and transport activities that could be added to the regulations as part of wider reforms to the waste carrier, broker, and dealer registration system.

The consultation forms part of the UK government’s regulating for growth programme and follows Dan Corry’s internal review, published 2 April, of DEFRA’s regulatory activities and their effectiveness in driving both economic growth and nature recovery.

The proposed reforms set out in the consultation aim to streamline how environmental permit exemptions are updated, overcoming delays caused by the current lengthy and often disrupted process.

Currently, regulators can revise permits without legislative change for all facilities except those operating under exemptions. By giving the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales greater flexibility to make proportionate, risk-based decisions on exemptions, the reforms would enable faster regulatory updates whilst maintaining the continued protection of the environment.

At the same time, the changes seek to improve scrutiny, boost sector performance, and offer businesses greater transparency and certainty – reducing administrative burdens on both operators and regulators and helping to level the playing field.

The consultation is due to run until 3 June 2025. Click here to access the consultation overview page, which provides a summary of the proposed changes and links to the relevant consultation documents.