Environmental permits

To carry out certain industrial processes that have the potential to cause pollution, companies must have an Environmental permit before they start their operation. Asking you to complete an Environmental permit ensures that the best available technique is applied to minimise the pollution. Find out more about applying for a permit.

The processes that may cause a pollution problem are classified as:

a) Part A1 installations - these are regulated by the Environment Agency.

b) Part A2 and Part B installations - these are regulated by us.

The Part A permit controls activities with a range of environmental impacts, while the Part B permit controls activities that cause emissions to air.

Permitted processes in our borough

We have 34 permitted processes of which one installation is Part A2. The permitted activities are:

petrol stations
dry cleaners
vehicle respraying
cement batching
plastic coating
small waste incinerator
crematorium.

For a list of all the Environmental permits currently operating in our borough, see the Links section of this page.

How to apply for an Environmental permit

Check whether your activity requires a permit, and apply for one, by visiting Gov.UK's environmental permit web page.

The fees and charges for the application process are provided by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and are published on their website as and when reviewed. Please see the link for fees.

The completed application form along with the appropriate fee should be sent to:
Regulatory Services
Guildford Borough Council
Millmead House
Millmead
Guildford
GU2 4BB

Inspections

All permitted processes must be inspected regularly to make sure you are meeting the conditions of the permit issued by us.

The frequency of inspection depends on the risk rating of the previous inspection.

Some inspections, such as petrol stations and dry cleaners, may be as infrequent as once every three years, if they were low risk in the previous inspection.

A high-risk activity may be investigated at least twice a year.

Read the Environmental Permitting General Guidance Manual [1.43MB] for more information.