How to change, transfer or surrender your permit

Changing your permit

Applications to change a permit are called variations. Under the old waste management licensing regime they were known as modifications. There are five types:

• administrative - minor alterations such as the reduction of permitted volumes to a lower level;
• minor technical - changes which might alter the environmental impact of the operation, for example, the addition or removal of an emission point;
• normal -  a variation request which will result in operational or technical changes and which will need to be assessed by us; 
• substantial – a change request which is likely to involve public consultation, for example installing a new discharge treatment facility;
• conversion of a bespoke permit to become a standard rules permit.

Your environmental permit will include conditions that allow you to tell us about some minor changes by letter. For example a change to your company name when your company registration has not changed.

Transferring your permit

You can transfer part or all of your permit to a new operator if, for instance, you sell the facility. The application to transfer needs to be made by the person to whom the permit will pass, but both parties need to sign the declaration.

Surrendering your permit

You can apply to surrender your permit if, for example, your operation permanently ceases. You can apply to partially surrender your permit if, for example, you want to sell some of the land you occupy and reduce your site footprint.

We will assess your surrender application to establish whether you have taken appropriate measures to avoid causing pollution and if you have returned the site to a satisfactory state. 

If the permit relates to a mobile plant you need only notify us that you wish to surrender the permit.

Application form and guidance notes

If you wish to vary, transfer or surrender your permit, complete the relevant section of our application form. Guidance is available to help you complete the form.