The Environment Agency has published guidance on how to carry out a groundwater risk assessment for environmental permit applications. It explains when applicants may need to assess direct or indirect pollution risks, with particular emphasis on sensitive locations such as Groundwater Source Protection Zone 1 (SPZ1), and outlines the need for a conceptual model, desk study and site investigation evidence.
The article explains the UK Government’s planning practice guidance on biodiversity net gain in England. It sets out the statutory requirement for most developments to achieve at least a 10% biodiversity value uplift, usually secured through a Biodiversity Gain Plan before commencement of works.
The Environment Agency has prosecuted two Lincolnshire farmers after an investigation into illegal waste activity at Hall Farm near North Owersby. The case involved the deposit and burning of mixed waste, with fines, surcharge and costs imposed by Lincoln Magistrates’ Court totalling nearly £7,000.
The Environment Agency led a multi-agency enforcement operation across Bacup and Burnley targeting organised waste crime. Officers from five organisations carried out roadside checks, visited suspected illegal waste sites, identified two previously unknown sites, and recovered stolen vehicles and equipment.
The Planning Inspectorate has published non-statutory advice on notification and consultation procedures for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects that may have transboundary environmental impacts. The guidance explains how these duties operate under the Planning Act 2008 and related Environmental Impact Assessment and habitats legislation, including the role of Regulation 32 and the Secretary of State’s obligations to notify and consult relevant EEA States.
The Environment Agency says half of England is now in drought following record low rainfall and exceptionally high temperatures, with seven areas officially designated as drought zones. The response includes enhanced monitoring, tighter controls on water abstraction, and pressure on water companies to prioritise leak repairs and follow drought plans.
The Environment Agency has issued guidance on identifying, classifying and managing waste upholstered domestic seating that may contain persistent organic pollutants (POPs). It sets out handling, segregation, transfer note and transport requirements, including special precautions for mixed waste, roadside collection vehicles and cleaning methods.
The Environment Agency has suspended the environmental permit for a waste recycling site in Portsmouth after inspectors identified inadequate dust controls and other breaches linked to waste crushing and screening operations. The site must stop physical treatment of waste until the pollution risk is removed, with corrective actions required and a right of appeal through the Planning Inspectorate.
The Environment Agency has published updated templates and supplementary guidance for sampling and inspection plans required under extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging. Reprocessors and exporters of packaging waste in the UK must use these templates when applying for registration or optional accreditation, and exporters must also complete the overseas reprocessing and interim sites log (OSR) form.
West Lancashire Council has confirmed that an environmental impact assessment will be required for Northern Trust’s proposed outline residential scheme for 360 homes in Aughton. The site lies within the Green Belt on land described as a mix of grade one agricultural land and urban classification, and the proposal is at screening stage with no detailed plans yet submitted.
The Planning Inspectorate has published non-statutory advice on pre-application Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs). It explains how the EIA process under the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 and the Planning Act 2008 should be handled before a Development Consent Order application is submitted, including screening, scoping and the use of the Rochdale Envelope.
The Environment Agency has launched Operation Unite, an 18-week enforcement campaign targeting permitted waste sites suspected of criminal activity. Across 42 inspections in England, the operation led to 17 permit suspensions or revocations underway and more than 30 criminal investigations, with actions taken at sites including Lancashire, Chichester and Hull.
