The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010

Variation of an environmental permit

20.—(1) The regulator may vary an environmental permit on the application of the operator or on its own initiative.

(2) A variation under this regulation must not reduce the extent of the site of a regulated facility.

(3) Paragraph (2) does not apply if the variation relates to any part of an environmental permit (or if applicable, the whole permit) that authorises the operation of a regulated facility of the following description—

(a) a Part B installation, except to the extent that it relates to a waste operation;

(b) a stand-alone water discharge activity or stand-alone groundwater activity.

(4) With respect to any part of an environmental permit (or if applicable, the whole permit) that authorises the carrying on of a stand-alone water discharge activity, a regulator must not, without the agreement of the operator, on its own initiative—

(a) within 4 years after the grant of the permit, vary any condition of the permit that relates to the water discharge activity; or

(b) within 4 years after the variation of a condition of the permit that relates to the water discharge activity, further vary that condition.

(5) Paragraph (4) does not apply if—

(a) the regulated facility is a standard facility; or

(b) the regulator, on its own initiative, varies an environmental permit, or any condition of a permit, in order to comply with—

(i) an obligation of the United Kingdom under the Community Treaties; or

(ii) a direction given by the appropriate authority under regulation 61.

(6) Part 1 of Schedule 5 applies in relation to an application for the variation of an environmental permit or a proposal to vary an environmental permit on the initiative of the regulator under paragraph (1).