Change, transfer or cancel your environmental permit
Source: gov.uk (2025-02-28)

How to change details of your environmental permit, transfer it to somebody else or cancel it.

You can apply to:
- make changes to your permit to update its details – you must do this if you want to do an activity that is not currently covered by your permit
- correct mistakes in the permit
- transfer your permit to somebody else
- cancel your permit if you no longer need it
Using the forms

You will need to use an Adobe Acrobat product to complete the forms listed on this page. The forms may not work properly if you use a different PDF reader, such as the one built in to your internet browser.

Return your forms using the appropriate contact details listed in the ‘Submit your forms’ section.

Change (vary) your permit

Change your address or contact details

Complete the following forms and send them to the Environment Agency:
- part A: about you (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-an-environmental-permit-part-a-about-you) – include your new details
- part C0.5: administrative variation of a standard or bespoke permit (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-an-environmental-permit-part-c05-administrative-variation-of-a-standard-or-bespoke-permit)
Correct mistakes or make administrative changes

You can apply to correct a mistake in your permit or make administrative changes. This is known as an ‘administrative variation’.

Read the form guidance for part C0.5 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-an-environmental-permit-part-c05-administrative-variation-of-a-standard-or-bespoke-permit) to find out what changes you can make.

To request changes, complete part C0.5: administrative variation of a standard or bespoke permit (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-an-environmental-permit-part-c05-administrative-variation-of-a-standard-or-bespoke-permit) and send it to the Environment Agency.

Changing or adding things to your permit

If you want to do an activity that is not currently covered by your permit you must apply to have it added. See the ‘Carrying out research or trials for exception’ section.

You can also apply to:
- make changes to your permitted activity or its conditions
- combine 2 or more permits into one
Complete part A: about you (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-an-environmental-permit-part-a-about-you) and part C1: varying a standard facilities permit (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-an-environmental-permit-part-c1-varying-a-standard-facilities-permit) to change or add a standard rules permit.

Complete part A: about you (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-an-environmental-permit-part-a-about-you), part C2: varying a bespoke permit (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-an-environmental-permit-part-c2-varying-a-bespoke-permit), and one of the following for changes to a bespoke permit:

part C2.5 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-an-environmental-permit-part-c25-vary-to-add-a-new-mcpsg-or-change-an-existing-mcp-or-sg-permit) to add a medium combustion plant (MCP) or specified generator (SG) to your existing bespoke permit or change (vary) your standalone MCP or SG permit

part C3 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-an-environmental-permit-part-c3-varying-a-bespoke-installation-permit) to change an installation permit (not intensive farming)

part C4 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-an-environmental-permit-part-c4-varying-a-bespoke-waste-operation-permit) to change a bespoke waste operation permit

part C5 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-an-environmental-permit-part-c5-varying-a-permit-to-become-a-mining-waste-operation-permit) to change a mining waste operation permit

part C6 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-an-environmental-permit-part-c6-varying-a-water-discharge-activity-and-groundwater-point-source-activity) to change a standalone water discharges permit or effluent discharge to water or sewer from an installation

part C7 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-an-environmental-permit-part-c7-varying-a-bespoke-groundwater-permit) to change a standalone groundwater discharges with spreading activities permit

In addition, complete:
- part F1: charges and declarations (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-an-environmental-permit-part-f1-opra-charges-declarations) for installations (not intensive farming), waste operations, mining waste operations, groundwater discharges onto land permit, and water discharge and point source groundwater discharge activities
To change the conditions or any part of a flood risk activity permit complete:
- part A: about you (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-an-environmental-permit-part-a-about-you)
- part C8: varying a flood risk activity permit (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-an-environmental-permit-part-c8-varying-a-flood-risk-activity-permit)
- part F3: charging for flood risk activities and declarations (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-an-environmental-permit-part-f3-charging-for-flood-risk-activities-and-declarations)
For changes to an intensive farming installation permit, complete part C3.5 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-to-vary-an-environmental-permit-part-c35) only.

Send your forms to the Environment Agency.

Carrying out research or trials

If you have an environmental permit for an A1 installation or waste operation, you may not need to make changes to your permit if you want to carry out research or trials (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/waste-operations-and-a1-installations-carrying-out-research-or-trials). But you must contact the Environment Agency before you start this activity.

Transfer your permit to somebody else

You can transfer your permit or part of your permit to somebody else at any time.

Transfer a standalone water discharge or groundwater permit

Complete part D1: notification of transfer (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/notification-for-an-environmental-permit-part-d1-notification-of-transfer).

Get the person taking over the permit to complete part A: about you (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-an-environmental-permit-part-a-about-you) and declaration 6b in part D1.

If you cannot contact the current permit holder, you may be able to transfer the permit without their completed declaration. Contact the Environment Agency to discuss. You will need to supply evidence in your application to confirm that you are unable to trace one or all of the permit holders.

Send the completed forms to the Environment Agency.

There is no charge for transferring this type of permit.

Transfer an installations, intensive farming, waste or mining waste operations permit

The person who wants to take over the permit must fill in:

part A: about you (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-an-environmental-permit-part-a-about-you)

part D2: application for transfer (installations, waste operations and mining waste operations) (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-an-environmental-permit-part-d2-application-for-transfer)

The person who wants to take over the permit must also be the legal operator and meet the competence requirements (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/legal-operator-and-competence-requirements-environmental-permits).

The current permit holder and the person who wants to take over the permit must complete the relevant declarations in part F1: charges and declarations (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-an-environmental-permit-part-f1-opra-charges-declarations).

Send your documents to the Environment Agency.

If you cannot contact the current permit holder, you may be able to transfer the permit without their completed declaration. Contact the Environment Agency to discuss. You will need to supply evidence in your application to confirm that you are unable to trace one or all of the permit holders.

Transfer a standalone flood risk activity permit

Complete part D3: notification of transfer (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-an-environmental-permit-part-d3-notification-of-transfer-standalone-flood-risk-activities-only) and send it to the Environment Agency.

Get the person taking over the permit to complete and send part A: about you (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-an-environmental-permit-part-a-about-you) to the Environment Agency.

There is no charge for transferring this type of permit

If you cannot contact the current permit holder, contact the Environment Agency.

If you are moving address, you need to include details of your new address.

Cancel (surrender) your permit

Cancelling your permit or part of your permit is known as ‘surrendering’ or ‘partially surrendering’ your permit. You must still pay for your permit until you surrender all of it.

You can notify or apply to surrender your permit if you:
- no longer need it, for example if you have stopped doing the activity your permit covered
- want to reduce the area of land your permit covers
You do not need to surrender your permit if you want to:
- transfer your permit to somebody else
- remove people from a permit
- remove activities from your permit
Surrender a water discharge or groundwater activity permit

You can notify the Environment Agency of your permit or part permit surrender at any time.

Complete the following forms and send them to the Environment Agency:
- part A: about you (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-an-environmental-permit-part-a-about-you)
- part E1: notification of surrender (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/notification-for-an-environmental-permit-part-e1-notification-of-surrender)
There is no charge for surrendering this type of permit.

Surrender an installations, intensive farming, waste or mining waste operations permit

You can apply to surrender all or part of your permit.

Complete the following forms and send them to the Environment Agency:
- part A: about you (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-an-environmental-permit-part-a-about-you)
- part E2: surrender application (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-an-environmental-permit-part-e2-surrender-application)
- part F1: charges and declarations (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-an-environmental-permit-part-f1-opra-charges-declarations)
- the surrender section of your site condition report (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/environmental-permitting-h5-site-condition-report)
- a surrender report for landfill and deposit for recovery activities (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/landfill-epr-502-and-other-permanent-deposits-of-waste-how-to-surrender-your-environmental-permit/landfill-and-deposit-for-recovery-aftercare-and-permit-surrender)
Surrender a flood risk activity permit

You can notify the Environment Agency of your permit or part permit surrender at any time.

Complete the following forms and send them to the Environment Agency:
- part A: about you (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-an-environmental-permit-part-a-about-you)
- part E3: notification of surrender (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-an-environmental-permit-part-e3-notification-of-surrender-flood-risk-activities)
There is no charge for surrendering this type of permit.

Fees

See the environmental permitting charges guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/environmental-permitting-charges-guidance). The cost depends on the type of business activity, the environmental risk and the amount of work needed to assess the application.

It is free to transfer or surrender:
- standalone water discharge permits
- standalone groundwater permits
- standalone flood risk activity permits
Get help with your application

Before you apply to change, transfer or surrender your permit, you can contact the Environment Agency’s pre-application advice service (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/get-advice-before-you-apply-for-an-environmental-permit) to help make sure your application is correct.

Submit your forms

Send your completed forms to:
- xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx) – for standalone water discharge or groundwater permits
- xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx) – for installations, intensive farming, waste or mining waste operations permits
- xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx) – for standalone flood risk activity permits
Alternatively, you can post your forms to:

Permitting Support, NPS SheffieldEnvironment AgencyQuadrant 299 Parkway AvenueSheffieldS9 4WF

Contact the Environment Agency

Contact the Environment Agency if you have questions about changing, cancelling or transferring your permit.

General enquiries

National Customer Contact Centre PO Box 544RotherhamS60 1BY

Email xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx)

Telephone 03708 506 506

Telephone from outside the UK (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm GMT) xx-xxxx-xxxx

Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.