New Application and Variation Forms

The new forms are shorter and applicants will now only need to fill in one form; either B3.5 for a new application or C3.5 for a variation of an existing permit.

Please note applicants can continue to use the standard EPR forms if they wish to or are halfway through preparing an application.

Applicants can use the forms if their intended activity is limited to rearing of pigs or poultry intensively in an installation with more than 40,000 places for poultry or 2,000 places for production pigs (over 30kg) or 750 places for sows and typical directly associated activities such as farm scale biomass boilers. If they want to carry out any other activities that would also require a permit (such as a large anaerobic digester) they will need to fill in the appropriate parts of the standard EPR application forms.

Before completing the forms we recommend applicants contact their local Environment Agency officer to arrange a pre-application discussion. The Environment Agency’s customer services will be able to put applicants in touch with their local office: telephone 03708 506 506.

Background:

The Intensive Farming Specific Application forms are the result of a key recommendation of Richard Macdonald’s Farming Regulation Task Force report which concluded:

‘The regulation of waste and integrated pollution prevention and control (IPPC) must be made as light touch as possible. Environmental permitting forms and guidance should be tailored to the agricultural sector.’

The new forms and guidance have been produced in consultation with the pig and poultry trade associations and key customers. The forms include a checklist of information that needs to be submitted with each application.