Find out which waste activities are exempt from permitting but need a check to make sure they are not harming the environment
Complex exemptions are waste activities that are exempt from permitting but which we have to check to ensure that they do not harm the environment. If you want to operate under the terms of these exemptions you must:
- notify us first, and
- be able to keep to the limits specified within the exemption.
Those notifying us of a complex exempt activity also have a number of additional obligations.
Applying for a waste exemption
Before we can register a complex exemption, you must supply the details of your waste activity on a notification form that is specific to that exemption. The form asks for supporting data to be included and we require a period of time to assess this before we register the exemption.
The information we ask you to submit as part of this assessment must demonstrate that your proposals:
- meet the objectives of the exemption, and
- do not cause pollution or harm to health.
The type and quality of information we ask for may well require you to seek the help of a technical specialist. Detailed information on this is provided alongside the guidance document located with the notification form.
With the exception of Paragraph 12, the complex exemptions are:
- chargeable, and
- subject to annual renewal and the payment of an annual fee.
Details of relevant charges can be found on our Environmental Permitting (EP) charges page.
In most cases any establishment, or undertaking, who registers a complex exemption with us must:
- be the occupier of the land where it will be undertaken, or
- have the consent of the land owner.
Notification forms and technical guidance
Use the links below to:
