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Environmental permitting guidance for the food and drink sector

Use the following guidance to help you complete your application and comply with the conditions of your Environmental Permit.

Our guidance

‘How to Comply with your Environmental Permit’ replaces 'Getting the Basics Right' (GTBR). It contains both technical guidance, guidance on complying with permit conditions and describes the basic standards and measures that standard permit holders will need to know.

Applicants for bespoke permits will also find the basic information they require but they will also need to use other technical guidance where appropriate. The guidance applies to all activities apart from intensive farming and radioactive substances activities. Separate guidance is available for these.

In response to feedback on GTBR we have revised the layout and content of this technical guidance note. It is now in three parts:

Part 1: guidance for all activities;

Part 2: is split into five separate sections to provide guidance for different types of regulated facility. You will need to read the section that is relevant to your regulated facility.

Part 3: additional guidance which may be relevant to activities, for example monitoring.

You can download a copy of 'How to Comply' on our generic guidance page:

Sector technical guidance

There are four Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPR) technical guidance notes for this sector:

The BAT (Best Available Techniques) reference notes of the European IPPC Bureau can be accessed here:

Horizontal guidance

The horizontal guidance provides information relevant to all sectors regulated under EPR. It includes information on noise, odour, energy efficiency, and protection of land.

Regulatory guidance

Regulatory guidance notes are Environment Agency guidance on policy and legal interpretation issues associated with implementing the Environmental Permitting Regulations:

Making an application

There is one application form, which must be used to apply for a new bespoke or standard permit or to vary, transfer or surrender your permit. Guidance on how to complete the form is provided:

Environmental permitting (EP) charges

Our Environmental Permitting charges pages explain how much a permit will cost:

Operational Risk Appraisal (Opra)

To find out how we assess the environmental risk of an EPR site operation, visit our Opra page. We use the output from Opra to work out charges and for planning our permitting and compliance activity:

Environmental Permitting Regulations

Information to help you understand the wider regulatory framework:

Government guidance

Defra has produced a series of guidance documents.These include 'Core Environmental Permitting Guidance', which describes the general permitting and compliance requirements, and guidance on the European directives which are implemented through the Environmental Permitting Regulations: