The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016

Transfer of an environmental permit

21.—(1) The regulator may transfer to a proposed transferee an environmental permit or any part of an environmental permit—

(a) if the operator is one individual (A) and the regulator is satisfied that A cannot be found, on the application of the proposed transferee only,

(b) if the operator is two or more individuals (A and B) and the regulator is satisfied that A cannot be found, on the joint application of B and the proposed transferee, or

(c) otherwise, on the joint application of the operator and the proposed transferee.

(2) Part 1 of Schedule 5 applies in relation to an application for the transfer of an environmental permit in whole or in part.

(3) Paragraph (1) does not apply to an environmental permit (or any part of a permit) that authorises the carrying on of a stand-alone water discharge activity, stand-alone groundwater activity or a stand-alone flood risk activity.

(4) The regulator may transfer to a proposed transferee an environmental permit to which paragraph (1) does not apply, or any part of that permit—

(a) if the operator is one individual (A) and the regulator is satisfied that A cannot be found, on the notification of the proposed transferee only,

(b) unless sub-paragraph (c) applies, if the operator is two or more individuals (A and B) and the regulator is satisfied that A cannot be found, on the joint notification of B and the proposed transferee,

(c) if the operator is two or more individuals (A and B) and the proposed transferee is two or more individuals (B and C), where B is both an operator and a proposed transferee—

(i) on the joint notification of A and C, or

(ii) if the regulator is satisfied that A cannot be found, on the notification of C only, or

(d) otherwise, on the joint notification of the operator and the proposed transferee.

(5) A notification must—

(a) be made on the form provided by the regulator,

(b) include such information as is specified on the form, and

(c) specify a date on which the transfer is to take place, which must be not less than 20 working days after the date on which the notification is given.

(6) A transfer following a notification takes effect on the date specified in the notification.

(7) In the case of a partial transfer following a notification, the regulator must grant a new environmental permit to the transferee subject to the same conditions as the original permit, varied in consequence of the partial transfer.

(8) If—

(a) an enforcement notice or a suspension notice is in force in respect of an environmental permit, and

(b) the permit is transferred to another person, either in whole or in part,

the duty to comply with the enforcement notice or, as the case may be, the suspension notice is also transferred to the other person to the extent that it relates to the permit or part transferred.

(9) Unless a proposed transferee makes a joint application or gives a joint notification, the regulator may not transfer to the proposed transferee an environmental permit or any part of an environmental permit in respect of a regulated facility that ceased to be in operation more than 6 months before the proposed date of transfer.