The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations SI 2010/675 were revoked and replaced by a revised set of Regulations at the beginning of the year. These new Regulations primarily provide a consolidated system of environmental permitting in England and Wales.

The aim of the new Regulations is to consolidate the existing environmental permitting system, which integrates regimes covering waste management licensing, pollution prevention and control, landfill, waste incineration, the operation of large combustion plants, water discharge consents, groundwater authorisations and radioactive substances.

The new Regulations widen the existing environmental permitting and compliance system in England and Wales by integrating the existing permitting regimes covering water discharge consents, groundwater authorisations and radioactive substances regulation authorisations and incorporating the outcomes of the Waste Exemptions Order Review.

They also bring together the amending regulations that implemented European legislation on mining waste and batteries into a single environmental permitting system, which already covered pollution prevention and control and waste management licensing.