The Environment Agency has consulted on a revised standard rules permit for the storage of asbestos waste under SR2008 No 9. The update is intended to improve the design and operation of permitted facilities, including a new condition addressing point source emissions to water, air or land and associated generic risk assessments.
The Environment Agency has secured £517,000 from United Utilities following sewage discharge permit breaches into the River Tame, with the money to fund local environmental improvements through Mersey Rivers Trust. The case forms part of a wider increase in enforcement activity across the water sector, alongside inspections and legally binding undertakings aimed at preventing repeat pollution incidents.
The Environment Agency has published updated business case templates for Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) capital grant claims. The templates are intended for local authorities and internal drainage boards, and are designed to support consistent, evidence-based submissions that meet the Agency’s assurance requirements.
The Environment Agency has updated guidance on appealing where a water company refuses a public sewer connection or disputes the timing of provision. The process involves first applying to the relevant sewerage undertaker, with appeals to the Environment Agency taking at least 12 months and sometimes longer in complex cases.
Updated government guidance under the Tenant Fees Act, issued after the Renters’ Rights Act came into force, has raised questions about whether some professional rent guarantor contracts entered into before 1 May may still be valid. The guidance also indicates that tenants must be given genuine choice over guarantor services, and that requiring a specific provider could amount to a prohibited payment.
Blackburn with Darwen Council has prosecuted three landlords after they ignored an Improvement Notice relating to serious hazards in a rented home, including damp and mould, lack of heating, electrical and fire risks, and structural concerns. The landlords were fined and ordered to complete the required remedial works, and the case will be reported to the Rogue Landlord Database.
County Durham Council secured a fine of more than £42,000 against Carter Property Services after the company was found guilty of 13 breaches of its Selective Licence across eight rented properties. The case involved serious management failures, including missed inspections, overdue gas safety certification and reports of extremely poor living conditions at one property.
Slough Council has proposed introducing additional HMO and selective licensing schemes that could bring around 17,000 rental properties under new regulation for five years. The plans would extend licensing to smaller HMOs and other private rented homes, with a consultation running for 10 weeks and closing on 23 September.
The article warns that AI-enabled onboarding and marketing language can blur the distinction between Source of Funds and Source of Wealth checks in conveyancing. It explains that while AI can improve the presentation and review of financial evidence, it does not change the scope of the underlying AML check or remove the need for professional judgement.
The Prudential Regulation Authority has fined HDI Global SE £4,165,000 for repeatedly submitting inaccurate FSCS Liabilities and FSCS Fee Tariff data between August 2021 and August 2024. The PRA said the errors reflected failures in controls, accountability and diligence, although the firm has since remediated the issue, corrected historical data and paid additional levies due.
The Environment Agency has issued a regulatory position statement on temporary storage of waste temperature exchange equipment (WTEE) where national treatment capacity constraints may prevent sites from operating within normal storage limits. It states that enforcement action will not normally be taken if the specified conditions in the RPS are met, but the underlying legal requirements remain unchanged.
The article outlines a proposed shift of AML and counter-terrorist financing supervision from the SRA and other professional body supervisors to the FCA. It says firms should prepare for a more data-led supervisory approach that focuses on whether controls are operating effectively, not just whether policies exist on paper.
