The Environment Agency says a man in his 20s has been arrested in connection with alleged illegal waste activities at a site near Camborne, Cornwall. The investigation is ongoing and forms part of wider enforcement action involving Cornwall Council and Devon and Cornwall Police, with previous stop letters issued at the site.
An Essex skip-hire operator and his company were sentenced after repeated Environment Agency warnings about an overflowing waste yard near Braintree were ignored. The site was found to be operating without the required environmental permit, with waste accumulation creating environmental, fire and human safety risks.
The Conveyancing Information Executive has updated its climate change compliance note to reflect changing lender expectations and a stronger focus on evidence-based management of climate-related risks in property transactions. The revision aligns with the Prudential Regulation Authority's updated supervisory approach and expands attention to both physical risks, such as flooding and wildfires, and transition risks, including energy performance.
The Environment Agency has updated its policy paper on digital waste tracking, confirming plans for a mandatory UK-wide service and setting out revised implementation details. The update notes public beta testing, changes to timelines, and specific adjustments for Northern Ireland, waste exemptions, and service charging arrangements.
The article reports that a proposed scheme at Ebbsfleet, combining a new football stadium with 3,500 homes, has been rejected by Angela Rayner because of concerns about toxic lead risk. The site was described as being adjacent to one of Europe’s largest lead refineries, which raised safety concerns over the suitability of the development.
The Environment Agency has published guidance on the safe use, storage and disposal of sheep dip to reduce the risk of groundwater pollution. It sets out competency, permitting, siting and storage requirements, and warns that misuse can contaminate drinking water sources and lead to prosecution.
The Environment Agency has published guidance on the surrender of non-nuclear radioactive substances activity permits, covering both full and partial surrender. It explains the evidence operators must provide to show radioactive materials and waste have been removed and that necessary measures have been taken to avoid pollution risk before surrender is accepted.
The Environment Agency has updated its regulatory position statement on storing intact shock absorbers and undeployed airbags in otherwise fully depolluted end-of-life vehicles on hardstanding. The guidance confirms that the underlying environmental permit requirement remains in place, but enforcement action will not normally be taken if the stated conditions are met, including record-keeping and limits on which ELVs are covered.
Manchester City Council has opened consultation on its draft local plan for 2022 to 2039 ahead of submission for examination. The plan sets out growth locations, expanded city centre boundaries, affordable housing targets, purpose-built student accommodation policy, and strategic flood risk considerations.
The Environment Agency has published the Thames Regional Flood and Coastal Committee strategy for the next decade, setting out a refreshed approach to managing flood and coastal erosion risk across the Thames region. The strategy is aligned with Defra’s flood funding reforms and the 2026 to 2029 investment programme, and it will guide how proposals are assessed against regional priorities.
Russell LDP and Harworth Group have progressed plans for Simister Bowlee, a 242-acre residential allocation in Greater Manchester, by submitting an EIA Scoping Opinion to inform a future planning application. The scheme could deliver up to 1,550 homes alongside a primary school, local centre, transport improvements, sustainable drainage, and open space, with construction potentially starting in 2029.
The Environment Agency has published a 2025 update to its storm overflow assessment framework for water companies in England. The guidance replaces the 2018 version and clarifies how spill data, valid year averages, water quality impact assessments and cost-benefit considerations should be applied under the Urban Waste Water Treatment Regulations.
